Why Black History Matters
Thu, Mar 12
|Marie Selby Botanical Gardens
The stories we tell—and the ones left untold—shape how we understand our past and ourselves. This timely conversation explores how Black history, long overlooked or suppressed, continues to define our national story and our shared identity.
Time & Location
Mar 12, 2026, 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM
Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, 1534 Mound St, Sarasota, FL 34236, USA
About the event
The stories we tell—and the ones left untold—shape how we understand our past and ourselves. This timely conversation explores how Black history, long overlooked or suppressed, continues to define our national story and our shared identity. As efforts to erase or distort this history gain ground, the speakers will reflect on why truth-telling matters—how confronting hard histories can deepen understanding, challenge assumptions, and inspire a more just and connected future.
GILBERT KING is a Pulitzer Prize–winning author known for uncovering overlooked stories of courage and justice. His newest book, Bone Valley: A True Story of Injustice and Redemption in the Heart of Florida, reexamines a decades-old wrongful conviction with fresh urgency. His earlier works, including Devil in the Grove—winner of the 2013 Pulitzer Prize—Beneath a Ruthless Sun, and The Execution of Willie Francis, explore the legacy of racial violence and the ongoing fight for equality in America.
DR. JAMES STEWART is Professor Emeritus at Penn State University, where his scholarship bridges economics, African American studies, and educational equity. A former Vice Provost for Educational Equity and Director of the Black Studies Program, he has authored or edited thirteen books—including Introduction to African American Studies: Transdisciplinary Approaches and Implications—and more than seventy-five scholarly articles. Dr. Stewart is also a past president of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH).
DAVID WILKINS, ESQ. is a community leader, educator, and retired corporate attorney dedicated to advancing the study of African American history. The former President of Manasota ASALH, he helped launch the Manasota ASALH Freedom School in 2023 and has taught courses on American slavery and Reconstruction. A graduate of Illinois Wesleyan University and the University of Illinois School of Law, Wilkins previously served as Associate General Counsel at The Dow Chemical Company and Chief Diversity Officer for the American Red Cross.
