CLOSE READ / Rooted by Brea Baker

​Why is less than 1% of rural land in the U.S. owned by Black people? 

​Join us in the library for a close read of a selection from Rooted: The American Legacy of Land Theft and the Modern Movement for Black Land Ownership by acclaimed writer and activist Brea Baker, where she explores the impact of land theft and violent displacement on racial wealth gaps, arguing that justice stems from the literal roots of the Earth.

​We will begin promptly at 7:00PM. Please plan to be on time.

​CLOSE READ is a literacy-focused program dedicated to strengthening reading comprehension, annotation and analysis skills. It's not a book club, as pre-reading is encouraged but not required. The program is designed to meet readers of all levels where they are.

​Attendees are asked to bring a note-taking tool and their personal copy of the book. Digital and (limited) printed copies of the text will be provided.

​FACILITATOR BIO

​Imani Spence is an academic librarian in Houston, TX. In her current role she has presented on abortion information access, primary source literacy and serves on multiple committees in the American Library Association. Before moving to Houston, she lived in Baltimore where she was a journalist on arts and culture, a nonprofit worker, and a radio producer for a daily political show. While in Baltimore, she served as Vice President of the board for the Baltimore Abortion Fund, now the Abortion Fund of Maryland. As an early career professional she is interested in the ways that information access can be expanded beyond the academy.