Public is welcome to attend free author talk in honor of Women’s History Month

The local Leagues of Women Voters are providing a unique opportunity to learn from a public historian this Sunday in honor of Women’s History Month.

Author and professor Michelle Duster will discuss the work and the legacy of her great-grandmother, Ida B. Wells, a notable Chicago resident and nationally prominent leader in the suffragist and civil rights movements, according to a press release.

The free event at 10:30 a.m. Sunday, March 21, will be broadcast virtually over Zoom. Pre-registration is required.

The event is hosted by the local Leagues of Women Voters in Glenview-Glencoe, Wilmette and Winnetka-Northfield-Kenilworth. It replaces the group’s annual luncheon because of COVID-19 precautions, said Chaya Rubenstein, president of the LWV of Winnetka-Northfield-Kenilworth.

“We typically have the luncheon in March, but it has changed because of the pandemic,” Rubenstein said. “We were charged this year with setting up the speaker. I have always admired Ida B. Wells and have followed her career and life. I was very excited when I had read about her new book that Michelle had just written. It’s wonderful.”

The program is available to anyone, but Rubenstein added it’s suitable for middle school and high school students, as well. 

Duster’s book that she will be promoting while speaking about her great-grandmother is “chock-full of history,” Rubenstein said. 

“There is also present day information about women, Black Lives Matter and the people who have been taking control of the narrative,” she said. 

More than 80 people have signed up the community event, and registration remains open as of press time. For more information or to register, click here.