Revisiting A Raisin in the Sun
Saturdays, March 9, 16 & 30, 9:15 - 11 AM
Roslindale Library
We will read Lorraine Hansberry's classic play about the experiences of a black family in Chicago. The discussions will be led by local educator Josh Frank and books are available to borrow from the library now.
A Raisin in the Sun
By Lorraine Hansberry
This groundbreaking play starred Sidney Poitier, Claudia McNeill, Ruby Dee and Diana Sands in the Broadway production which opened in 1959. Set on Chicago's South Side, the plot revolves around the divergent dreams and conflicts within three generations of the Younger family: son Walter Lee, his wife Ruth, his sister Beneatha, his son Travis and matriarch Lena, called Mama. When her deceased husband's insurance money comes through, Mama dreams of moving to a new home and a better neighborhood in Chicago. Walter Lee, a chauffeur, has other plans, however: buying a liquor store and being his own man. Beneatha dreams of medical school.
The tensions and prejudice they face form this seminal American drama. Sacrifice, trust and love among the Younger family and their heroic struggle to retain dignity in a harsh and changing world is a searing and timeless document of hope and inspiration. Winner of the NY Drama Critic's Award as Best Play of the Year, it has been hailed as a "pivotal play in the history of the American Black theatre." by Newsweek and "a milestone in the American Theatre." by Ebony.
Book Discussion: Just Mercy
April 6, 13 & 27, 9:15 - 11 AM
Roslindale Library
We will discuss Bryan Stevenson's acclaimed book that looks at the US criminal justice system. The discussions will be led by local educator Josh Frank and books will be available to borrow from the library soon.
Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption
By Bryan Stevenson
Bryan Stevenson was a young lawyer when he founded the Equal Justice Initiative, a legal practice dedicated to defending those most desperate and in need: the poor, the wrongly condemned, and women and children trapped in the farthest reaches of our criminal justice system. One of his first cases was that of Walter McMillian, a young man who was sentenced to die for a notorious murder he insisted he didn’t commit. The case drew Bryan into a tangle of conspiracy, political machination, and legal brinksmanship—and transformed his understanding of mercy and justice forever.
Just Mercy is at once an unforgettable account of an idealistic, gifted young lawyer’s coming of age, a moving window into the lives of those he has defended, and an inspiring argument for compassion in the pursuit of true justice.
Author Talk with Lorenz J. Finison
Thursday, May 2, 6 - 7:45 PM
Roslindale Library
Lorenz J. Finison argues that bicycling witnessed a renaissance in Boston in the 1970s as concerns over physical and environmental health coalesced. Finison traces the city's cycling history, chronicling the activities of environmental and social justice activists, stories of women breaking into male-dominated professions by becoming bike messengers and mechanics, and challenges faced by African American cyclists. Making use of newspaper archives, newly discovered records of local biking organizations, and interviews with Boston-area bicyclists and bike builders, Boston's Twentieth-Century Bicycling Renaissance brings these voices and battles back to life. Co-sponsored by RozzieBikes and MassBikes.
6:00 pm – light refreshments and gathering
6:30 pm – formal remarks by the author
7:15 pm – book signing (books available for purchase)