Virtual Author Talk: Beronda Montgomery
Tuesday, August 25
2:00pm - 3:00pm
Reclaim America's black botanical legacy with Beronda Montgomery, an award-winning plant biologist and author of 'When Trees Testify'.
Join us for a riveting conversation with award-winning Biologist Beronda Montgomery as we discuss her book, When Trees Testify: Science, Wisdom, History, and America’s Black Botanical Legacy.
The history of trees in America is also the history of Black Americans. Pecan trees were domesticated by an enslaved African named Antoine; sycamore trees were both havens and signposts for people trying to escape enslavement; poplar trees are historically associated with lynching; and willow bark has offered the gift of medicine. Trees testify to the complexity of the Black American narrative and to the heritage of Black botanical expertise that predates the United States entirely.
In When Trees Testify, Montgomery explores the ways that trees, as well as the cotton shrub, are intertwined with Black history and culture. She reveals how knowledge surrounding these trees has shaped America since the very beginning. As Montgomery shows, trees are material witnesses to the lives of enslaved Africans and their descendants.
Combining the wisdom of science and history with stories from her own path to botany, Montgomery talks to majestic trees, and in this unique and compelling narrative, they answer.
Register today for this insightful discussion about Black history and botanical mastery.
About the Author
Montgomery, Ph.D., is a writer, researcher and scholar who pursues the common theme of understanding how individuals perceive, respond to and are impacted by the environments in which they exist. Her primary research is focused on the responses of photosynthetic organisms (i.e., plants and cyanobacteria) to external light cues. Additionally, Montgomery pursues this theme in the context of effective mentoring and leadership of individuals and the role of innovative leaders in supporting success.
Montgomery is the author of two books: When Trees Testify: Science, Wisdom, History, and America’s Black Botanical Legacy and Lessons From Plants.
If you have any questions about this program, including accommodations, please contact Amy at csprograms@cc-pl.org. Please see all our program offerings in our online newsletter at cc-pl.org/connections.
AGE GROUP: | Adult |
EVENT TYPE: | Virtual/Digital | Author Talk |