Enoch Pratt Free Library “Writers Live” Features Author and Community Activist Kevin Shird As He Shares His Telling Memoir, Lessons of Redemption

IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Baltimore, Maryland– On July 23, 2014, the Enoch Pratt Free Library Hosts “Writers Live”, featuring author and community activist Kevin Shird as he shares his telling memoir, Lessons of Redemption. Endorsed by the Harvard Bookstore, this book chronicles his journey as a young man trapped in a life of crime and dealing drugs, on the tough streets of Baltimore, to becoming an esteemed community leader, championing substance abuse prevention.  “Writers Live” is a two-hour free series hosted by the Enoch Pratt Central Library that features Baltimore area authors, who have created intriguing, entertaining and provocative manuscripts. This event provides a forum for authors to speak about their manuscripts with the Enoch Pratt Library’s visiting audience, followed by an interactive Q&A regarding the author’s work.  This free series was developed to engage library visitors and book enthusiasts with personal interactions with some of the area’s most fascinating authors.

Kevin Shird, president and co-founder of the Mario Do Right Foundation has an authentic passion about drug prevention because of his personal experiences on the streets.  At age 16, Kevin was caught in the dangerous world of drug trafficking, which eventually landed him in federal prison.  Today, Kevin is partnering with universities and community organizations across the United States to utilize his story as a resource for understanding the perspective of youth in similar circumstances and for planning more effective interventions to break the cycle. “We have to be honest and open about our mistakes when talking to young people, so they won’t end up in the same bad situations," says Shird.  Kevin has recently lectured students at the world-renowned Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, on issues involving substance abuse prevention.   In June Kevin was a guest speaker during the 2014 United States Conference of Mayors Annual Summer Meeting in Dallas, Texas discussing the "Heroin Epidemic in America".   

This event will be held Wednesday, July 23. 2014, at 6:30 p.m. in the Poe Room of the Enoch Pratt Central Library, located at 400 Cathedral Street, Baltimore, MD 21201. Copies of Lessons of Redemption will be on sale at a book signing following the program.  Press and media are welcome to attend.

Lessons of Redemption is a raw, uncensored glimpse into a way of life that claims many young lives in cities across America.  Lessons of Redemption is now available online at Amazon.com and at Harvard Bookstore. For information about Kevin Shird, visit: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/kevin-shird/5a/645/6b7.  For more information about Kevin’s work with the Mario Do Right Foundation, visit: http://www.mariodoright.org. 

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For more information contact:

Dwayne Sherrod, DC Nadia Group LLC.

(301) 683-8865

Dwayne.sherrod@dcnadiagroup.com