The Demopolis Public Library will present Lunch and Learn program with author Randall Williams on Thursday, Feb. 16 at noon. This Lunch and Learn will feature two of Williams’ books: “This Day in Civil Rights History” and “100 Things You Need to Know About Alabama.”
Williams is the editor-in-chief of NewSouth Books, which he co-founded with publisher Suzanne La Rosa in 2000. He is responsible for the acquisitions, editorial, and production parts of NewSouth’s publishing program. Since publishing his first book in 1989, he has published or co-published more than 500 titles, more than any other trade book publisher in Alabama history. He has worked as a reporter, editor, and publisher for newspapers and magazines, and worked a decade at the Southern Poverty Law Center, where he was the founding director of the Klanwatch Project.
A unique catalog of historic civil rights events, “This Day in Civil Rights History” details the struggles, sacrifices, and triumphs on the road to equal rights for all U.S. citizens. From the Quakers’ 17th Century antislavery resolution, to slave uprisings during the Civil War, to the infamous Orangeburg Massacre in 1968 and beyond, authors Horace Randall Williams and Ben Beard present a vivid collection of 366 events — one for every day of the year plus Leap Day — chronicling African Americans’ battle for human dignity and self-determination. Every day of the year has witnessed significant events in the struggle for civil rights. This Day in Civil Rights History is an illuminating collection of these cultural turning points.
In anticipation of Alabama’s bicentennial in 2019, Randall Williams takes a look back at the events, places, and people that have shaped the Heart of Dixie from the times of the first Native Americans to the arrivals of today’s most recent immigrants. In 100 insightful vignettes, readers discover little-known details about the state’s geophysical characteristics, key dates in history, significant people, and interesting places to visit. Some like Rosa Parks and Helen Keller are household names, but others like Ned Cobb and Clifford Durr will be revelations to most. Similarly, Alabama’s role in Civil War and Civil Rights is well known, but the state’s rank as the world leader in a type of fossil or as the birthplace of two of the fastest men on the planet are less known facts. From the Freedom Rides to NASCAR, from peanuts to prosthetics, Alabama has many surprises that Williams explores.
To reserve a plate lunch for this program call 334-289-1595. Cost for the lunch is $7 or guests may bring their own lunch. The Friends of the Library will provide drinks and dessert. Copies of the books will be available. For more information contact the library.