What are LitBits?As divisive messages filter down from our new administration, colleges and communities are hurriedly working to balance it with discourse about embracing the current situation of race relations in America and nurturing a community of diversity and kindness.
Leonard Pitts, Jr. is perfect for these conversations. A seasoned speaker with what Event Coordinators call “a gentle demeanor,” Pitts delivers a “tough message that we all need to hear.” His 2015 novel Grant Park — a suspenseful story of a seasoned journalist who, infuriated by the death of another unarmed black man at the hands of police, writes a scathing article condemning racism and white apathy — takes an unfiltered and unforgiving look at contemporary race relations in the US.
The Columbia One Book, One Community program is celebrating Black History Month with a February 23 speaking event with Leonard that Books In Common helped facilitate. “Clearly it’s very timely,” says Sarah Gough, Richland Library’s Programs and Partnerships Librarian, “any perspective that people have on race relations is represented in some way in this book.”
Good Morning Columbia highlights Leonard Pitts, Jr.’s Grant Park as the 2017 Columbia One Book, One Community selection.
Leonard Pitts, Jr. is the author of Freeman, Before I Forget, and Becoming Dad: Black Men and the Journey to Fatherhood. To schedule an event with Leonard, contact Books In Common directly at (541) 318-6288.
Related Books and Authors
 Andrew Maraniss  Strong Inside |  James Edward Mills  The Adventure Gap |  Leonard Pitts  Grant Park |  Dana Johnson  Elsewhere, California |
Andrew Maraniss Strong Inside |
