Prince George's County Memorial Library System

The Prince George’s County Office of Human Rights and the Prince George’s County Memorial Library System invite you to join them in celebrating 76 years of human rights! Panelists, leaders in local, national, and international human rights spaces, will discuss the human rights progress that’s been made and the work still left to do. This event honors December 10th’s 76th anniversary of the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in Paris on December 10, 1948.

This spring, grab your favorite lunch at noon and tune in to virtual conversations with the Prince George’s County Office of Human Rights and the Prince George’s County Memorial Library System on topics from repairing the effects of racial injustice to fighting for equitable access to recovering from exile and loss. Let’s learn together! Lunch and Learn returns with special guest Kathleen DuVal, author of "Native Nations: A Millennium in North America" in conversation with the Prince George's County Office of Human Rights and the Prince George's County Memorial Library System. About the book: In this magisterial history, Kathleen DuVal traces the power of Native nations from ancient cities to the present. She reframes North American history, noting that Indigenous civilizations did not halt with European arrival. A millennium ago, North American cities rivaled global urban centers. Following climate change, numerous nations emerged from centralized civilizations. From this urban past, egalitarian governments, complex economies, and diplomacy spread. When Europeans arrived in the 16th century, they encountered powerful societies they misunderstood. For centuries, Indigenous people maintained an upper hand and used Europeans for their own interests. Mohawks controlled trade with the Dutch, and Quapaws manipulated French colonists. After the American Revolution, power dynamics shifted, but Indigenous people still controlled most of the continent. The Shawnee brothers Tecumseh and Tenskwatawa built alliances to resist U.S. expansion. The Cherokees asserted sovereignty, and the Kiowas regulated white settler passage. While definitions of power shifted, the sovereignty and influence of Indigenous nations remained constant. About the author: Kathleen DuVal is a history professor at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. She is a Guggenheim Fellow and the author of Native Nations: A Millennium in North America, which was shortlisted for the Cundill History Prize. Her other books include Independence Lost: Lives on the Edge of the American Revolution, The Native Ground: Indians and Colonists in the Heart of the Continent, and the U.S. history textbook Give Me Liberty! She has published in the William and Mary Quarterly, the Journal of the Early Republic, The Atlantic, Time magazine, and the New York Times, and she is a regular book reviewer for the Wall Street Journal.

The Prince George’s County Office of Human Rights and Prince George’s County Memorial Library System presents a conversation with author and illustrator David Lester and author Marcus Rediker to discuss their new graphic novel, "Revolution by Fire: New York's Afro-Irish Uprising of 1741, a Graphic Novel." Based on the little known real life “Slave Insurrection” of 1741, this book imagines outlaw fugitive John Gwin and an eclectic crew of renegades as they attempt to disrupt and overthrow the colonial social order. Rebel fugitive John Gwin was previously introduced in "Under the Banner of King Death" and this graphic novel continues his adventures. "Revolution by Fire" is a hypothetical look at the inner workings of the so-called “New York Conspiracy” or “Slave Rebellion” of 1741, following the figures who were considered the real-life masterminds of the plot. Featuring an eclectic crew of African-American, Irish, and mixed-race Hispanic sailors, soldiers, and renegades, Gwin and his band are determined to capture New York City in their own names and fight the higher class “wigs and ruffles” wearing white people. Unfortunately for the conspirators, suspicions about an uprising were already in the minds of the Governor and his fellow elites, and the events that followed change the course of everyone’s lives forever. Based on the chapter titled “Outcasts of the Nations of the Earth” in Rediker’s and Peter Linebaugh’s "The Many-Headed Hydra: Sailors, Slaves, Commoners, and the Hidden History of the Revolutionary Atlantic," the book provides a fly-on-the-wall view of a historical event reimagined, highlighting cooperation among races and classes that transcends the social order of its time—and inspire us today. About the authors: David Lester illustrated the award-winning "1919: A Graphic History of the Winnipeg General Strike." He illustrated "Prophet against Slavery: Benjamin Lay, a Graphic Novel, (Beacon, 2021)" and "Villains of All Nations into Under the Banner of King Death: Pirates of the Atlantic, a Graphic Novel (Beacon 2023)." He is the guitarist in the rock duo Mecca Normal. Marcus Rediker is Distinguished Professor of Atlantic History at the University of Pittsburgh. He is the author of several books including "The Amistad Rebellion (Viking 2012)" and "The Many-Headed Hydra: Sailors, Slaves, Commoners, and the Hidden History of the Revolutionary Atlantic (Beacon 2000)." He worked with David Lester and Paul Buhle to adapt his book "The Fearless Benjamin Lay (2017)" into "Prophet Against Slavery: Benjamin Lay, a Graphic Novel (Beacon, 2021)" and "Villains of All Nations into Under the Banner of King Death: Pirates of the Atlantic, a Graphic Novel (Beacon 2023)."

PGCMLS This Week! Discover your ancestry through genealogical research. Join an evening of film conversation about “Pure Grit.” Discuss "Never Whistle at Night: An Indigenous Dark Fiction Anthology" at miXt Food Hall. Tune into the virtual conversation of “Blood Sisters” by Vanessa Lillie. Learn the requirements and eligibility criteria for the naturalization process. David Lester and Marcus Rediker join PGCMLS and Pgcohr for a discussion on their new graphic novel. Learn and play “Magic: The Gathering.” Create your own blend of shea butter. Full schedule this week: https://lnkd.in/edC7vgmJ

This spring, grab your favorite lunch at noon and tune in to virtual conversations with the Prince George’s County Office of Human Rights and the Prince George’s County Memorial Library System on topics from repairing the effects of racial injustice to fighting for equitable access to recovering from exile and loss. Let’s learn together! Lunch and Learn returns with special guest Rebecca Hass in conversation with the Prince George's County Office of Human Rights and the Prince George's County Memorial Library System. Library staff are under attack from book bans to budget challenges and need tools to sustain their psychological safety and critical role in our social infrastructure. Her new book, "101 Seeds for Library Joy," brims with dozens of joy-centering approaches and activities ready to draw on whenever your day could use a boost. Library joy is more than a feeling; it is a choice and call to everyday practices of connection, empowerment, and wellbeing. And it isn’t a heavy lift—in fact, it can all start with a few tiny seeds. Rebecca Hass (she/her/hers) is the programming and outreach manager for Anne Arundel County Public Library (AACPL). Prior to AACPL, she served in librarianship and management with the Enoch Pratt Free Library and Ramsey County Public Library. Rebecca received her MLIS from Dominican University in 2008 and her Life and Engagement Coaching Certificate from Anne Arundel Community College in 2022. Rebecca integrates positive psychology practices with DEIB approaches in libraries, community engagement, coaching, and consulting in her business, Joy Work, LLC.

Lunch and Learn returns with special guest Noliwe Rooks, author of "A Passionate Mind in Relentless Pursuit: The Vision of Mary McLeod Bethune" in conversation with the Prince George's County Office of Human Rights and the Prince George's County Memorial Library System. "An intimate and searching account of the life and legacy of one of America's towering educators, a woman who dared to center the progress of Black women and girls in the larger struggle for political and social liberation When Mary MacLeod Bethune died, many of the tributes in newspapers around the country said the same thing: she should be on the "Mount Rushmore" of Black American achievement. Bethune is the only Black American whose statue stands in the rotunda of the U.S. Capital, and yet for most Americans, she remains a marble figure from the dim past. Now, Noliwe Rooks turns Bethune from stone to flesh, showing her to have been a visionary leader with lessons to still teach us as we continue on our journey towards a freer and more just nation. Any serious effort to understand how the Black Civil Rights generation found role models, vision, and inspiration during their midcentury struggle for political power must place Bethune at its heart. An interdisciplinary scholar, Noliwe Rooks is the L. Herbert Ballou University Professor of Africana Studies, and the chair of Africana Studies at Brown University. Her work explores how race and gender both impact and are impacted by popular culture, social history and political life in the United States. She works on the cultural and racial implications of beauty, fashion and adornment; race, capitalism and education, and the urban politics of food and cannabis production. The author of six books and numerous articles, essays and Op-Ed’s, Rooks has received research funding from the Ford Foundation, the Mellon Foundation and the Woodrow Wilson School among others. She lectures frequently at colleges and universities around the country and is a regular contributor to popular outlets such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Chronicle of Higher Education, Time Magazine and NPR.

This fall, grab your favorite lunch at noon and tune in to virtual conversations with the Prince George’s County Office of Human Rights and the Prince George’s County Memorial Library System on topics from how racism is making us sick to human trafficking awareness to increasing equity and opportunity in the sciences. Let’s learn together! Lunch and Learn returns with special guest Tony Weaver Jr., in conversation with the Prince George's County Office of Human Rights and the Prince George's County Memorial Library System. His new book, "Weirdo," educates middle grade kids about self esteem and the issues with bullying, and we'll hear how he's using his voice on social media for good! About Weirdo: Eleven-year-old Tony Weaver, Jr. loves comic books, anime, and video games, and idolizes the heroic, larger-than-life characters he finds there. But his new classmates all think he’s a weirdo. Bullied by his peers, Tony struggles with the hurt of not being accepted and tries to conform to other people's expectations. After a traumatic event shakes him to his core, he embarks on a journey of self love that will require him to become the hero of his own story. Weirdo is a triumphant, witty, and comedic story for any kid who's ever felt awkward, left out, or like they don't belong. An adolescence survival guide that will give every reader the confidence to make it to the other side. Find the book in our catalog: Book About Tony Weaver Jr: Tony Weaver, Jr. is an award winning writer and educator creating diverse stories that make young people feel seen and valued. After seeing the impact that media stereotypes had on students in his community, Tony embarked on a journey to create new media narratives that would challenge the status quo.

PGCMLS This Week! “Lunch and Learn” returns Tuesday at noon with special guest Author Tony Weaver Jr. His new book, "Weirdo." Your preschooler can meet Cruz, the friendly robot car! Learn how communication has evolved with the National Capital Radio and TV Museum. Engage with fun, hands-on activities that show how all human organs work together. Celebrate National Novel Writing Month with a special virtual Writers' Group. Discuss recipes from “The Sioux Chef's Indigenous Kitchen" and enjoy a tasting experience. Join Dr. Khadijah Z. Ali-Coleman as she presents “Developing a Liberation-Centered Writing Practice.” Learn the guide to self-publishing using Ingram Spark. View this week’s full schedule: https://lnkd.in/eYfaZJ93?

Join the Prince George's County Office of Human Rights and PGCMLS for a Community Conversation with Dr. James A. Dula about the services and resources available to veterans in Prince George's County. Major James A. Dula, PhD, U.S. Air Force Retired, and former Air Force Commander, is the Veterans Affairs Officer and Military Veterans Liaison to the County Executive, Prince George’s County. In this position, he serves the largest number of veterans in the State of Maryland and is responsible for health, morale, and general welfare for men and women veterans (and their family members). He is also a retired educator, former college professor, former President and CEO of the Prince George’s Chamber of Commerce, and former Deputy Chief Administrative Officer for Health and Human Services for Prince George’s County’s. A Vietnam Veteran, he also served in the Pentagon, Central and South America, Guam, Air Force District of Washington, and as Headquarters Squadron Commander for Special Air Missions on Andrews Air Force Base.

Enjoy an open mic for poets and storytellers with Dialect Poets of Prince Georges County. Your preschooler can meet Cruz, the friendly robot car from Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration. Dive into the rich Akan heritage with a six-week Fante language and culture series, and relax with a yoga class tailored for parents. Kids can learn how communication has evolved with the National Capital Radio & Television Museum. Join a community conversation presented with the Prince Georges County Office of Human Rights featuring Dr. James A. Dula. Gain tips on harvesting native plant seeds. Plus, explore the chemistry behind photography with the American Chemical Society. All library events this week: https://lnkd.in/eWxDrDfv