Award-Winning Author James McBride to Speak on Issues of Race In America

Adelphi University will host National Book Award–winning author James McBride on Wednesday, October 28, 2015, at 7:00 p.m. in its Thomas Dixon Lovely Ballroom in the Ruth S. Harley University Center. McBride’s memoir, The Color of Water: A Black Man’s Tribute to His White Mother, was a best-seller and is the subject of the 2015–2016 Adelphi Community Reads program. McBride’s critically acclaimed work explores African American identity and history in the United States. Admission is free and available to members of the public. A book signing will follow the lecture.

In The Color of Water, McBride delves into the hidden past of his mother, Ruth McBride, and examines his own identity as a black man raised by parents of mixed heritage. McBride’s novel, The Good Lord Bird, a slave’s account of the abolitionist movement led by John Brown, won the National Book Award for Fiction in 2013. A major motion picture based on the novel and starring Liev Schreiber and Jaden Smith is due out soon.

A graduate of the Columbia School of Journalism, McBride has written for the Boston Globe, People and the Washington Post. Also an award-winning composer and saxophonist, McBride has written both music and lyrics for Anita Baker, Grover Washington Jr. and Gary Burton.

In his talks, McBride covers his life’s rich lessons, exploring the nature of identity, race and heritage. He is an inspiring speaker and delighted to talk with audience members, especially students. In his words, “All of my work speaks to the commonality of the human experience. That’s where I live, to move audiences to think, to question, and to find common ground.”

Adelphi Community Reads is an annual initiative to engage members of the campus community in a shared reading and discussions. This year’s reading and programming are also part of Adelphi’s Racial Justice Matters initiative.

For more information, please contact the Adelphi Cultural Events Hotline at 516.877.4555.