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The 21th Annual John Howard  Birss, Jr. Memorial Program celebrates the 50th anniversary of the publication of Ernest J. Gaines’ The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman with a virtual book discussion sponsored by Rogers Free Library.

Published in 1971, Gaines’ The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman is a fictional autobiography that tells a story of race in America through the eyes of one woman whose life spans the end of Slavery and into the beginning of the Civil Rights Movement. The publication of the book (as well as the acclaimed 1974 TV-film adaptation starring Cicely Tyson) was an important cultural moment for further understanding the human side of the African-American experience in the United States. 

The event will be led by acclaimed local writer, Susan Tacent, PhD.

Date: Wednesday, February 24, 2021, Zoom Meeting ( for more information on how to attend.)

Time: 7:00 pm