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Author Talk: I Am Nobody’s Slave with Lee Hawkins

Virtual Event

2025-02-18 11:00:00 2025-02-18 12:00:00 America/Los_Angeles Author Talk: I Am Nobody’s Slave with Lee Hawkins Join journalist and author Lee Hawkins as he talks to us about the examination of his family’s legacy of post-enslavement trauma and resilience in this riveting memoir, I Am Nobody's Slave: How Uncovering My Family’s History Set Me Free. Virtual Program -

Tuesday, February 18
11:00am - 12:00pm

Add to Calendar 2025-02-18 11:00:00 2025-02-18 12:00:00 America/Los_Angeles Author Talk: I Am Nobody’s Slave with Lee Hawkins Join journalist and author Lee Hawkins as he talks to us about the examination of his family’s legacy of post-enslavement trauma and resilience in this riveting memoir, I Am Nobody's Slave: How Uncovering My Family’s History Set Me Free. Virtual Program -

Join journalist and author Lee Hawkins as he talks to us about the examination of his family’s legacy of post-enslavement trauma and resilience in this riveting memoir, I Am Nobody's Slave: How Uncovering My Family’s History Set Me Free.

I Am Nobody’s Slave tells the story of one Black family's pursuit of the American Dream through the impacts of systemic racism and racial violence. This book examines how trauma from enslavement and Jim Crow shaped their outlook on thriving in America, influenced each generation, and how they succeeded despite these challenges.

To their suburban Minnesotan neighbors, the Hawkinses were an ideal American family, embodying strength and success. However, behind closed doors, they faced the legacy of enslavement and apartheid. Lee Hawkins, Sr. often exhibited rage, leaving his children anxious and curious about his protective view of the world. Thirty years later, his son uncovered the reasons for his father’s anxiety and occasional violence. Through research, he discovered violent deaths in his family for every generation since slavery, mostly due to white-on-Black murders, and how white enslavers impacted the family’s customs.

Hawkins explores the role of racism-triggered childhood trauma and chronic stress in shortening his ancestors' lives, using genetic testing, reporting, and historical data to craft a moving family portrait. This book shows how genealogical research can educate and heal Americans of all races, revealing through their story the story of America—a journey of struggle, resilience, and the heavy cost of ultimate success. Register today to join the conversation!

About the Author: LEE HAWKINS was a 2022 Pulitzer Prize finalist as a lead reporter on a series about the Tulsa Massacre of 1921 at the Wall Street Journal, where he worked for nineteen years. He has received several fellowships, including The Carter Center’s Rosalynn Carter Fellowship for Mental Health Journalism, the Alicia Patterson Foundation Journalism Fellowship, the O’Brien Fellowship for Public Service Journalism, the USC Annenberg Center for Health Journalism National Fellowship for reporting on child well-being. Hawkins is a five-time winner of the National Association of Black Journalists’ “Salute to Excellence” Award. He is the creator and host of the podcast “What Happened in Alabama?” and lives in the New York City area.

Virtual Program


Hours
We're closed Monday January 20
Mon, Jan 20 Closed
Tue, Jan 21 7:00AM to 6:00PM
Wed, Jan 22 7:00AM to 6:00PM
Thu, Jan 23 7:00AM to 6:00PM
Fri, Jan 24 7:00AM to 6:00PM
Sat, Jan 25 7:00AM to 6:00PM
Sun, Jan 26 7:00AM to 6:00PM

About the branch

This is a virtual location. No events are held at this address.

Upcoming events

Tue, Jan 21, 11:00am - 12:15pm
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Thu, Jan 23, 11:00am - 12:00pm
Join us as we chat with the New York Times bestselling author, Amanda Montell about her newest book, The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality.
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Thu, Jan 23, 6:00pm - 7:00pm
Join LA County Librarian and CEO, Skye Patrick, for an inspiring, encouraging conversation with Dr. David Yeager, the author of 10 TO 25: The Science of Motivating Young People.
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Tue, Jan 28, 10:00am - 11:30am
You’re writing a book (or thinking about it), but what happens next? Join us for an inside look into working with an agent and the beginning stages of the publishing process with Seth Fishman, Vice President and Literary Agent at The Gernert Company.
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Tue, Jan 28, 11:00am - 12:15pm
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Tue, Jan 28, 5:00pm - 6:00pm
As we enter the New Year, we have an opportunity to look back at the things we want to continue to experience and those that we don’t. Meditation is an effective technique that helps to create more balance in our lives. For adults.
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Wed, Jan 29, 11:00am - 12:00pm
LA County Library gives you access to thousands of eBooks and audiobooks, through Libby. Join us to learn how to use Libby to read or listen to all those books you have been meaning to read.
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Tue, Feb 04, 11:00am - 12:00pm
Join this enlightening presentation with Smithsonian curator Sabrina Sholts as she talks about how the very fact of being human increases our pandemic risks—and gives us the power to save ourselves.
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Tue, Feb 11, 4:00pm - 5:00pm
You’re invited to a riveting conversation with bestselling author Waubgeshig Rice to chat about his newest book Moon of the Turning Leaves, the hotly anticipated sequel to the bestselling novel Moon of the Crusted Snow
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Thu, Feb 13, 6:00pm - 7:00pm
This Valentine’s Day, Join LA County Librarian and CEO Skye Patrick and author Myah Ariel for an enchanting discussion of romance, storytelling, and a little Hollywood magic.
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Tue, Feb 18, 11:00am - 12:00pm
Join journalist and author Lee Hawkins as he talks to us about the examination of his family’s legacy of post-enslavement trauma and resilience in this riveting memoir, I Am Nobody's Slave: How Uncovering My Family’s History Set Me Free.
Register