Herstory is Being Erased: Black History Month Panel

Join The Bronx is Reading at Bronx Library Center for a session of Authors & Writers Out Loud, featuring Rio Cortez and Jeannine A. Cook. 

This panel of adult and children’s authors highlight the stories we need to protect and preserve, featuring books on prominent figures, Black history, and a memoir on why it's critical to prioritize reading in this time. Books available for purchase on site via The Bronx is Reading!

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Rio Cortez is a poet and the New York Times bestselling author of picture books The ABCs of Black History, The River Is My Ocean, and The Blue Velvet Chair. Her debut poetry collection, Golden Ax, was longlisted for the 2022 National Book Award for Poetry, the Pen America Open Book Award, and the Norma Farber First Book Award. Her writing has been Pushcart-nominated and published in The New Yorker, The Atlantic, The Miami Rail, and various other publications. Born and raised in Salt Lake City, she now lives, writes, and works in Harlem.

Jeannine A. Cook is the founder and owner of three avant-garde bookshop concepts, Harriett’s in Philadelphia; Ida’s in South Jersey; and Josephine’s, a literary installation in Paris. She holds an MFA from Drexel University. She is the author of the novel It’s Me They Follow.

ABOUT THE MODERATOR

Saraciea J. Fennell is a Brooklyn born Black Honduran American writer from the Bronx. She is the founder of The Bronx is Reading, and creator of Honduran Garifuna Writers. She is also a book publicist who has worked with many award-winning and New York Times bestselling authors. Fennell board chair for Latinx in Publishing as well as on the Advisory Board of People of Color in Publishing. She lives in the Bronx with her husband, family and black poodle, Oreo. Her nonfiction anthology WILD TONGUES CAN’T BE TAMED is available wherever books are sold. Her horror anthology THE BLACK GIRL SURVIVES IN THIS ONE co-edited with Desiree S. Evans, is available now from Flatiron Books. Visit saracieafennell.com for more information, and follow her online @sj_fennell, @thebronxisreading, @hondurangarifunawriters.

To join in person

Please be sure to register for an In-Person Ticket. Doors will open 30 minutes before the program begins. For free events, we generally overbook to ensure a full house. Priority will be given to those who have registered in advance, but registration does not guarantee admission. If you register for multiple tickets, please provide the name of each person who will be attending the event or arrive with your entire party present. Seats cannot be saved for late arrivals. Only registered patrons will be granted initial entry into the event space. All registered seats are released shortly before start time, and seats may become available at that time. A standby line will form 30 minutes before the program for any seats that may become available prior to showtime.

To join the livestream 

A livestream of this event will be available on this NYPL event page. To receive an email reminder shortly in advance of the event, please be sure to register! If you encounter any issues, please join us on NYPL's YouTube channel.