Austin Peay State University to hold final Let’s Talk About It: Women’s Suffrage event, September 29th

Clarksville, TN – The Austin Peay State University (APSU) Felix G. Woodward Library is wrapping up participation in the “Let’s Talk About It: Women’s Suffrage” grant program, sponsored by the American Library Association and the National Endowment for the Humanities.

The Woodward Library was one of 25 libraries across the country selected to participate in the grant program in early 2022. The competitive LTAI award comes with a $1,000 stipend to support programming costs and purchase 10 copies of five books covering the women’s suffrage theme.

Celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, “Let’s Talk About It” is a reading and discussion program that involves groups of people reading a series of books selected by national project scholars and discussing them in the context of an overarching theme. Beginning in April, Woodward Library began hosting talks that highlight one of the five books in the LTAI: Women’s Suffrage program. Each talk was led by local scholars and explored themes of voting rights and citizenship, inclusion/exclusion of suffrage history, and more.
 
On September 1st, Eboné Amos, assistant professor of African American Studies, facilitated the discussion about Michelle Duster’s book Ida B. the QUEEN: The Extraordinary Life and Legacy of Ida B. Wells.
 
“Reading Ida B. the Queen opened my eyes to the unforgettable legacy of Ida B. Wells and the work she did for Black people, specifically Black women in both the women’s suffrage and civil rights movements,” Amos said.
 
During the event, participants worked in groups interpreting different passages from the book to create collages.
 
“The book presented itself as a collage of stories; piecing together meaningful experiences that made Ida who she was and still is, a true Queen of the People,” Amos said. “This is what inspired my book talk. I wanted people to piece together what resonated with them about Ida’s story and interpret it through collage work. I felt this act of creativity would be a tangible way to express the respect and honor we had for Ida’s life and her work.”
 
The fifth and final book discussion in the LTAI: Women’s Suffrage program will take place this Thursday, September 29th at 5:00pm. The discussion will be led by Dr. Jill Eichhorn, professor of languages and literature and coordinator of the women’s and gender studies program, and Elaine Berg, interim director of library services, and will focus on The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow. This event will be held at the APSU Office of Equity, Access and Inclusion (OEAI), located at 416 College Street.

To explore resources from past LTAI themes, visit the project website.