February 21, 2024 5:00‒7:00pm John M. Olin Library, Room 142 & Ginkgo Reading Room

Following Courage: William Wells Brown

“People don’t follow titles, they follow courage.”
William Wells Brown

Frontispiece of Narrative of William W. Brown, an American slave, written by himself — Frontispiece of *Narrative of William W. Brown, an American slave, written by himself*

In celebration of Washington University Libraries’ recent acquisition of a first British edition of Narrative of William W. Brown, an American slave, written by himself, Gregory Carr, Assistant Professor of Theater at Harris-Stowe State University, will lecture on Brown’s literary works. In addition to the lecture, the first edition and related materials from the Julian Edison Department of Special Collections will be on display before and after the lecture. Attendees are also encouraged to visit the Slavery in St. Louis traveling exhibition on view in Olin Library. Refreshments will be served after the lecture. Recommended for ages high school and up.

Schedule of Events:

5:00 pm: Exhibition viewing and items on display

5:30 pm – 6:30 pm: Lecture in Olin Library, Room 142

6:30 pm – 7:00 pm: Refreshments in the Ginkgo Reading Room and additional viewing time

Free and open to all, registration requested.

Sponsored by the WashU & Slavery Project, Center for the Study of Race, Ethnicity, and Equity (CRE2), and University Libraries.

Gregory S. Carr

Gregory S. Carr is an Assistant Professor of Theatre in Communication Studies at Harris-Stowe State University. Gregory is an accomplished director, playwright, actor, essayist, and public historian. His work has appeared in Theatre Symposium, Routledge Companion to African American Theatre and Performance, Humanities Magazine for the National Endowment for the Humanities, and Cosmic Underground: A Grimoire of Black Speculative Discontent. He is a 2019 Regional Arts Council Fellow, a Tennessee Williams Scholar with the Tennessee Williams Theater Festival, and serves on the MLK Advisory Board with the Creative Exchange Lab.

Archives of Resistance Event Series

The Archives of Resistance event series immerses participants in the history of people who resisted slavery and oppression through stories that are emerging from the archives.

Through short film, advocacy work, exhibitions, and access to primary sources, participants will gain understanding and contribute to the preservation of important collections and research.

Discover the carefully-researched story of Eliza Rone’s pursuit of freedom in a short film; celebrate Frederick Douglass’s birthday by helping to make his papers accessible to all online, view the Slavery in St. Louis and other related exhibitions and learn about William Wells Brown’s anti-slavery publications held in Special Collections.