Exhibition Discussion | Frederick Douglass and Colonial Era Black Writers

Historians and scholars David Blight and Jim Basker will discuss Black writers of the founding era to Frederick Douglass. This program is presented in conjunction with the exhibition, Black Brilliance: An American Chronicle, from the Collection of Alvin Patrick, which includes all three Douglass autobiographies and other books on colonial era writers such as Phillis Wheatley, Lemuel Haynes, and Paul Cuffee. Black Brilliance tells the story of Black people in America, exploring personal narratives of enslavement, the struggle for freedom, and barrier-breaking firsts, along with poetry, history, and other genres and themes.

Registration

If you are a Grolier Club member, please register yourself and your guests via the Club website. Do not register via Eventbrite.

Support

We appreciate your interest in the Grolier Club’s programming on the art and history of the book. For over 130 years we have offered our exhibitions and lectures to the public, free of charge. If you have enjoyed these offerings, and would like to support that tradition, and help ensure that it continues, please consider making a tax-deductible donation to the Grolier Club.

Accessibility

An ADA-compliant lift from street level to the lobby is available to anyone with mobility issues. All desk staff should be ready and able to assist you in operating the lift, with or without advance notice.

A “T-Coil” assisted listening system is available to anyone attending a lecture in the Exhibition Hall. Visitors with hearing aids should turn their devices to the “T” setting in order to access the system; visitors without hearing aids may request a “loop receiver” with earphones.

Environment

The temperature and humidity in the exhibition hall are tightly controlled for the sake of the valuable items on display, and this may cause the room to feel chilly, particularly in warmer weather, to those coming in from outside. Members and visitors are advised to bring a light wrap when visiting an exhibition, or attending an event in the hall.