PBS BOOKS | Celebration of African American Life & History

with Ngügï wa Thiong'

Celebrate Black History Month by joining PBS Books and ASALH to explore The Black Family.

On Sunday, February 28th at 7pm ET, acclaimed Kenyan author Ngügï wa Thiong' will discuss his recent book The Perfect Nine: The Epic of Giküyü and Mümbï, along with scholars Nubia Kai and Sundiata Keita Cha-Jua. The book is a dazzling modern epic, myth and feminist re-imagining of Kenya’s origins, which subverts patriarchy and promotes social equity. They will discuss elements relevant to today’s struggles for social justice, gender equity and spiritual rebirth while illuminating eternal African values essential for wholesome family life. 

This virtual event can be accessed on the PBS Books Facebook Live website, PBS Books Youtube, ASALH TV on Youtube,  and our website. Audience members will have an opportunity to ask questions following the conversation.

About the Author Ngügï wa Thiong'o
Ngügï wa Thiong'o is a perennial favorite for the Nobel Prize of Literature, the recipient of 12 honorable degrees, and has been nominated for the Man Booker International Prize. He was a professor at Yale University and New York University and is currently a Distinguished Professor of English and Comparative Literature and the Director of the International Center for Writing and Translation at the University of California – Irvin and is considered one of the greatest writers of our time.

About Moderator Sundiata Keita Cha-Jua
Sundiata Keita Cha-Jua serves on the Executive Council of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) and is an Associate Professor of African  American Studies, History, and Global Studies at the University of Illinois – Urbana; the former senior editor of The Black Scholar; and the former president of the National Council of Black Studies.

About Nubia Kai
Nubia Kai (Al-Nura Salaam), Ph.D. is a researcher, professor, and multidisciplinary writer. Winner of 23 literary awards including two from the National Endowment of the Arts awards, her work has been seen in publications such as Essence and Black World.

This event is the second collaborative virtual program between ASALH (the Association for the Study of African American Life and History) and PBS Books: A Celebration of African American Life and History in Black History Month, which will continue to offer programs throughout the year.  The PBS Books and ASALH partnership was originally proposed by Charles Ferrell, the vice president of the Keiga Foundation, who is an advisor for PBS Books and a member of  ASALH’s program committee.

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