Queens Public Library is hosting several events in the next few weeks that should be of interest to many.
In a conversation moderated by QPL’s Hip Hop Coordinator Ralph McDaniels, Korey Wise will share his experiences as one of the exonerated Central Park Five on Monday, Nov. 18 at 6 p.m. at Central Library, located at 89-11 Merrick Blvd. in Jamaica.
Wise will discuss his incarceration and life after prison, while also creating an opportunity for attendees who have been incarcerated or have family members who have been incarcerated to share their struggles and how they cope with their feelings.
Wise was 16 when he, along with four other teenagers, was falsely accused of brutally attacking and sexually assaulting a female jogger in Central Park in 1989. His conviction was overturned in 2002, after he served 12 years in prison.The event will be held as part of the QPL’s annual “It’s Time for Kind” campaign, which promotes kindness.
Those interested in attending can get free tickets here.
QPL will also host an author talk with historian David W. Blight about his 2019 Pulitzer Prize-winning biography Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom on Saturday, Nov. 16 at 2 p.m. at the Flushing Library. During the event, which is being held in partnership with the Lewis Latimer House Museum, Blight will discuss what prompted him to pursue the story of Frederick Douglass, who escaped enslavement and became one of the leading orators, abolitionists, and writers of his era.
The conversation will also touch upon Douglass’s involvement in the fight to free George Latimer — who was arrested after he escaped from slavery. Latimer’s struggle for freedom became a pivotal case for the abolitionist movement in Massachusetts.
QPL president and CEO Dennis M. Walcott will introduce Blight and Hugh Price, the great nephew of Lewis Latimer and member of the Lewis Latimer House Museum Advisory Council, will give opening remarks. Flushing Library is located at 41-17 Main St. and those interested in attending can get free tickets here.
And finally, the popular Let’s Talk Democracy 2019 lecture series will be wrapping up at the Forest Hills Library led by Professor Michael Krasner of Queens College. The series has focused on the benefits and vulnerabilities of democracies in the modern world and highlights those that are under attack today.
“Professor Krasner is charismatic, clear and articulate and he really responds well to people’s questions,” Janic Gillespie, Ph. D. said. “On Wednesday, Nov. 13 we will discuss the things we can do to increase the strength of our democracy, and the following Thursday, Nov. 21 we will bring together a group of Queens-based nonprofit social activists to discuss ways people can get civically involved in the Democratic process.”
The lecture and Q&A sessions go from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Forest Hills Library located at 108-19 71st Ave.
