Join Virginia Center for the Book for the launch of “MORNINGSIDE” with author Aran Shetterly, in conversation with Dr. Andrea Douglas, Executive Director of the Jefferson School African American Heritage Center. The event will include a 45 minute discussion with 15 minutes dedicated to audience questions. Book sales and book signings will take place immediately following the event.
“MORNINGSIDE” hones in on the long civil rights journey of Reverend Nelson Johnson and his wife Joyce Johnson, exploring their relentless fight for justice and community building in Greensboro. The book also highlights the city’s pioneering Truth and Reconciliation Commission in the early 2000s, modeled on the South African process, which has since inspired communities across the country.
As the 45th anniversary of the Greensboro Massacre approaches on November 3, 2024, “MORNINGSIDE” resonates with people everywhere in the US where painful, unresolved histories of race and class conflict, police corruption, and interactions with a biased legal system keep communities from more unified, secure futures. Despite the recent surge in racist violence, the Johnsons’ tireless fight for justice offers hope and a reminder of America’s promised ideals.
Dr. Andrea Douglas, holds an M.A. and Ph.D. in art history from the University of Virginia and an M.B.A. in arts management and finance from Binghamton University, NY. Douglas has taught graduate and undergraduate classes in African American, contemporary, and art theory, and has published exhibition catalogues and scholarly articles. From 2004 – 2010 she was Curator of Collections and Exhibitions and Curator of Contemporary Art at the University of Virginia Art Museum.