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Author Talk: My Black Country with Alice Randall

Grab your cowboy hat and head on down to the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library to celebrate Black Music Month with Alice Randall, on her new title My Black Country.

We are thrilled to partner with Mocha Media on this enlightening discussion with Alice Randall, acclaimed songwriter, novelist, and professor from Vanderbilt, to discuss her latest book, "My Black Country: A Journey Through Country Music’s Black Past, Present, and Future." Alice and Karen Alston will dive into the history of Black Country music and the impact of Black musicians on American culture. The discussion will be 45 minutes long, with 15 minutes at the end for audience questions. Following the program, MahoganyBooks will sell copies of My Black Country and attendees will have the opportunity to get their book signed by Alice.

Please register to attend. The DC Public Library Foundation sponsors this program by donating copies of the book to select attendees. You can learn more about My Black Country and Alice Randall below.

For reasonable accommodations, please contact the Center for Accessibility at 202-727-2142 or DCPLaccess@dc.gov. For ASL or tactile interpretation, please allow at least seven (7) days notice.

About the Book

In MY BLACK COUNTRY: A Journey Through Country Music’s Black Past, Present, and Future Randall shares her story – the remarkable tale of a Black woman overcoming prejudice and presuppositions to establish herself as a luminary in the music industry. Prior to her life in academia, Randall was an acclaimed songwriter working in the genre of Country Music. She was a unicorn, one of a few of her kind -- a Black woman in a field dominated by white men. She not only prevailed but also is the first Black woman to cowrite a number one country hit, Trisha Yearwood’s “XXX’s and OOO’s”.

Randall found inspiration and comfort in the sounds and history of the first family of Black country music: DeFord Bailey, Lil Hardin, Ray Charles, Charley Pride, and Herb Jeffries who, together, made up a community of Black Americans rising through hard times to create simple beauty, true joy, and sometimes profound eccentricity.

Lil Hardin is the mother of Black Country, DeFord Bailey is the Papa, Ray Charles is their genius child, Charley Pride is DeFord’s side child, Herb Jeffries, the Bronze Buccaroo, is Lil’s stepchild and one way or another all recording artists working in Black Country today are influenced by at least one member of the First Family of Black Country.

What emerges in MY BLACK COUNTRY is a celebration of the most American of music genres and the radical joy in realizing the power of Black influence on American culture. As country music goes through a fresh renaissance today (a Beyonce pun intended), with a new wave of Black artists enjoying success. It is a vibrant introduction to a new generation of listeners who previously were not invited to the genre.

Meet the Author

Alice Randall is a New York Times bestselling novelist, award-winning songwriter, and educator. She is widely recognized as one of the most significant voices in modern Black fiction and has emerged as an innovative food activist committed to reforms that support healthy bodies and healthy communities. She lives in Nashville where she writes country songs and is a Professor of African American and Diaspora Studies, Writer-in-Residence at Vanderbilt University. Please visit her on X and Instagram at @MsAliceRandall.

In Conversation with

 Karen Alston, Founder and CEO of the Spectrum Circle. She is a seasoned Moderator and Book Lover and moderated book panels at CBC. 

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