Former NFL Player To Speak At Palm Springs Library In February

PALM SPRINGS, CA — In celebration of Black History Month, two Black authors will discuss their books at the second annual "Our Voices Our Stories: Celebrating Black Authors" next month at Mizell Center, the Palm Springs Public Library announced Thursday.

The free event will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Feb. 8 at 480 S. Sunrise Way.

In collaboration with Brothers of the Desert and Mizell Center, the event will start with a 30-minute reception beginning at 10 a.m. Representatives from the Best Bookstore in Palm Springs will be on hand to select books from the featured authors available for purchase.

Former Dallas Cowboys and Tampa Bay Buccaneers player R.K. Russell will be in conversation with Lorenzo Taylor, a Brothers of the Desert member, about his memoir, "`The Yards Between Us."

The memoir follows Russell's journey as a bisexual Black man playing professional football, and explores themes of identity and sexuality.

Following Russell's conversation, Toni Ann Johnson will talk with Marilyn F. Solomon regarding her novella and short story collection, "But Where's Home?," which lays bare the realities of Black life in America, organizers said.

Attendees will have an opportunity to purchase books and receive autographs from the authors.

Online reservation will be required and can be found at http://bit.ly/4sDg3Ft.