Meet Christopher Webber, Author of American to the Backbone: The Life of James W.C. Pennington, the Fugitive Slave Who Became One of the First Black Abolitionists.
Hear the story of a forgotten hero of nineteenth century America. James Pennington was former slave who became a Yale scholar, congregational pastor, and international leader of the antebellum abolitionist movement. In 1827, aged 19, scared and illiterate, Pennington escaped from slavery and soon became one of the leading voices against slavery prior to the Civil War.
Christopher L. Webber is a graduate of Princeton University and the General Theological Seminary in New York. He is the author of Welcome to Christian Faith, Beyond Beowulf, and A Year with American Saints. He has also written hymns included in American and Canadian hymnals.
Please join us for a lively presentation and discussion about this remarkable African American man, and his struggle for freedom in the face of adversity.
This event is free and open to everyone and is held in honor of Black History Month. Copies of American to the Backbone will be for sale following the presentation. Please register for this program on our events page or call the library at 203-468-3890.
