Skip to main content
close
Font size options
Increase or decrease the font size for this website by clicking on the 'A's.
Contrast options
Choose a color combination to give the most comfortable contrast.

I Am Nobody’s Slave: An Author Talk

with Pulitzer Prize Finalist Lee Hawkins

2025-02-18 13:00:00 2025-02-18 14:00:00 America/Chicago I Am Nobody’s Slave: An Author Talk Award-Winning Journalist and Creator and Host of the podcast “What Happened in Alabama?” Please register. Virtual -

Tuesday, February 18
1:00pm - 2:00pm

Add to Calendar 2025-02-18 13:00:00 2025-02-18 14:00:00 America/Chicago I Am Nobody’s Slave: An Author Talk Award-Winning Journalist and Creator and Host of the podcast “What Happened in Alabama?” Please register. Virtual -

Award-Winning Journalist and Creator and Host of the podcast “What Happened in Alabama?” Please register.

We welcome you to our conversation with journalist and author Lee Hawkins as he talks to us about the examination of his family’s legacy of post-enslavement trauma and resilience in this riveting memoir, I Am Nobody's Slave: How Uncovering My Family’s History Set Me Free

I Am Nobody’s Slave tells the story of one Black family's pursuit of the American Dream through the impacts of systemic racism and racial violence. This book examines how trauma from enslavement and Jim Crow shaped their outlook on thriving in America, influenced each generation, and how they succeeded despite these challenges.

To their suburban Minnesotan neighbors, the Hawkinses were an ideal American family, embodying strength and success. However, behind closed doors, they faced the legacy of enslavement and apartheid. Lee Hawkins, Sr. often exhibited rage, leaving his children anxious and curious about his protective view of the world. Thirty years later, his son uncovered the reasons for his father’s anxiety and occasional violence. Through research, he discovered violent deaths in his family for every generation since slavery, mostly due to white-on-Black murders, and how white enslavers impacted the family’s customs.

Hawkins explores the role of racism-triggered childhood trauma and chronic stress in shortening his ancestors' lives, using genetic testing, reporting, and historical data to craft a moving family portrait. This book shows how genealogical research can educate and heal Americans of all races, revealing through their story the story of America—a journey of struggle, resilience, and the heavy cost of ultimate success. Register today to join the conversation!


About the Author: LEE HAWKINS was a 2022 Pulitzer Prize finalist as a lead reporter on a series about the Tulsa Massacre of 1921 at the Wall Street Journal, where he worked for nineteen years. He has received several fellowships, including The Carter Center’s Rosalynn Carter Fellowship for Mental Health Journalism, the Alicia Patterson Foundation Journalism Fellowship, the O’Brien Fellowship for Public Service Journalism, the USC Annenberg Center for Health Journalism National Fellowship for reporting on child well-being. Hawkins is a five-time winner of the National Association of Black Journalists’ “Salute to Excellence” Award. He is the creator and host of the podcast “What Happened in Alabama?” and lives in the New York City area.

Please Register for link to program.


Live Virtual Author Talks - This new series through Library Speakers Consortium offers live online talks by bestselling authors of books in a variety of genres. Participants receive a link to the program when they register. Please see https://libraryc.org/gailborden to register and also view recorded videos of past speakers.

AGE GROUP: | Virtual Live | High School | Adults |

EVENT TYPE: | Virtual | Adult Programs |

TAGS: | |

Virtual

Phone: 847-742-2411

Hours

Today's hours

We're open 9:00AM to 9:00PM

Mon, Jun 30 9:00AM to 9:00PM
Tue, Jul 01 9:00AM to 9:00PM
Wed, Jul 02 9:00AM to 9:00PM
Thu, Jul 03 9:00AM to 9:00PM
Fri, Jul 04 9:00AM to 6:00PM
Sat, Jul 05 9:00AM to 6:00PM
Sun, Jul 06 12:00PM to 5:00PM

About the Branch

Programs presented virtually through FB, Zoom, YouTube, and other online sources.

Upcoming Events

Thu, Jul 03, 9:30am - 11:30am
Rakow Branch - Rakow - Computer Cafe
Get help with common tech issues like Microsoft Office, using a tablet, hotspots, syncing email with your phone, downloading content, and more. Drop in for personalized assistance at your library.

Thu, Jul 03, 10:00am - 12:00pm
Main Library - Lobby - Piano
Piano performance in the lobby by volunteer community members.

Thu, Jul 03, 11:30am - 12:45pm
Mobile Services
Location: St. Francis Park

Thu, Jul 03, 2:30pm - 3:30pm
Mobile Services - Sprinter
Centro de Informacion Elgin - 1885 Lin Lor Ln, Elgin, IL 60123

Cancelled
Thu, Jul 03, 4:00pm - 5:00pm
Mobile Services
425 Dundee Ave. – Elgin 60120

Thu, Jul 03, 6:00pm - 9:00pm
Main Library
The Main Library, Rakow Branch and South Elgin close at 6 p.m.

Cancelled
Thu, Jul 03, 6:30pm - 7:30pm
Main Library
Usando material de USCIS que incluye preguntas de educación cívica, el formulario de solicitud y otros requisitos para la entrevista de ciudadanía. Este grupo de conversación es solo en inglés.

Fri, Jul 04, All day
Main Library
All library locations are closed for the Holiday.