OTTAWA — February is Black History Month and an opportunity to celebrate the many contributions of the Black community in Canada. With "Canadian Black History in the Making” as the main theme, Ottawa Public Library (OPL) in collaboration with Ottawa International Writers Festival (OIWF) invites you to meet two Black authors who not only advocate for success, leadership and self-improvement, but also raise issues of poverty, identity and self-esteem for reflection and discussion.
Take part in enriching live discussions via Zoom or on Facebook with:
- Rinaldo Walcott on February 22 at 7:30 pm: Join CBC Radio’s Idil Mussa for an in-depth conversation with Rinaldo Walcott for the launch of Walcott's book pamphlet On Property. The pamphlet is an activists’ genre with roots stretching back several centuries. Walcott’s pamphlet “continues the debate on abolition and the historical unfinished project of abolition for Black people.” Walcott believes the “entire system” of private property ownership must be dismantled: “Black people will not be fully able to breathe — a word I do not use lightly — until property itself is abolished.” Rinaldo Walcott is a Professor in the Women and Gender Studies Institute at the University of Toronto. His research is in the area of Black Diaspora Cultural Studies, gender and sexuality.
- Celina Ceasar-Chavannes, on February 25 at 7:30 pm: CBC’s Adrian Harewood hosts a conversation with Celina Caesar-Chavannes about her recently published book, Can You Hear Me Now? Both a memoir and a guide to leadership, Can You Hear Me Now? is a funny, self-aware, poignant, confessional and fierce look at how failing badly and screwing things up completely are truly more powerful lessons in how to live than extraordinary success. Caesar-Chavannes was the first Black person elected to represent the federal riding of Whitby, Ontario.
Register now and don't miss this exceptional opportunity to discover new books and authors while participating in dynamic and informative discussions. You can also find these authors’ books available in the OPL collection.
For more information on this program, visit BiblioOttawaLibrary.