Seeking the "Brief Evidence" of Anna Murray Douglass: A Workshop on Literacy, Poetry & History
A Session by M. Nzadi Keita (Professor of English & Creative Writing, Ursinus College)
About this Session
Why does Anna Murray Douglass remain a mystery? Despite working alongside her famous husband, Frederick, to aid freedom seekers fleeing American slavery, why is she so unsung? Having left no diaries or letters, does her illiteracy diminish her historically vital role? My workshop would ask participants to generate questions about the known and unknown in African-American history, and share them in an opening dialogue. Following a reading from my book, Brief Evidence of Heaven: Poems from the life of Anna Murray Douglass, we would consider how Douglasss story illuminates literacys impact on power, justice, culture-keeping, and knowledge in African-American communities.