Join Prithi Kanakamedala in conversation with Lauraberth Lima at World’s Borough Bookshop in Jackson Heights, Queens as they explore abolition, archives, + building better worlds, just some of the themes from Prithi’s book Brooklynites: the Remarkable Story of the Free Black Communities that Shaped a Borough.

To order a book, reserve a guaranteed seat + more info

About Prithi and Laura:

Prithi Kanakamedala is a Professor of History at Bronx Community College, and also teaches at The Graduate Center of the City University of New York. Brooklynites: the Remarkable Story of the Free Black Communities that Shaped a Borough (NYU Press, 2024) is her first full-length book. She is a proud Jackson Heights resident.

Lauraberth Lima (they/she) is a Professor of Museum Studies at New York University. Lima is also an established Cultural Consultant with 15 years of experience in education, community engagement, curatorial work, and cultural competence building in cultural institutions. Lauraberth brings a social justice lens to curating and consulting through interdisciplinary expertise in intergenerational engagement, BIPOC representation in the arts, health equity, museum and art education, youth development, early childhood education, as well as programming for LGBTQ2SIA+/gender expansive communities.

About the Book:

Meet the Black Brooklynites who defined New York City’s most populous borough through their search for social justice

Before it was a borough, Brooklyn was our nation’s third largest city. Its free Black community attracted people from all walks of life — businesswomen, church leaders, laborers, and writers—who sought to grow their city in a radical anti-slavery vision. Brooklynites (NYU Press, 2024) recovers the lives of these remarkable residents and considers their lasting impact on our city today.

Time: 3:00-4:30 pm EST

Free!

Registration