‘I’m Still Here’ author Austin Channing Brown to speak at Whitworth

As part of African American Heritage Month, preacher and author Austin Channing Brown will speak about her book “I’m Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made For Whiteness” at Whitworth University at 7 p.m. Tuesday.

In “I’m Still Here,” which was released in May, Brown writes about her journey to “learn what it means to love blackness,” while discussing why attempts at racial justice often fail.

Discussing “I’m Still Here” with the Chicago Tribune in May, Brown said she felt like there were a lot of books about the black male experience and wanted black women to feel seen and heard while also uplifting the story of black women who have always been around white spaces.

“I really wanted to uplift that story because we so often feel alone and isolated because there is only a handful of us where we work or worship or volunteer,” she said. “So I just wanted to write a book that said: I see you. And I affirm what you’re experiencing. You are not alone.”

Brown also noted that she wrote “I’m Still Here” for people who are already committed to racial justice as a way to let them know of improvements that still need to be made.

It’s not enough to have a black woman on staff or to have 20 percent people of color in your company, she said.

“Good, I’m glad you started, I’m glad you’re committed, but we’ve got to keep going,” she said. “So I was trying to paint a picture of what it might look like to keep going without being prescriptive.”

The event is free. It’ll be in the Robinson Teaching Theatre, Weyerhaeuser Hall at Whitworth, 300 W. Hawthorne Road.

Reading postponed

Delia Owens’ Spokane reading for her best-selling novel “Where the Crawdads Sing” has been rescheduled.

Auntie’s Bookstore will be hosting Owens at the Downtown Spokane Public Library at 8 p.m. March 16. The library is at 906 W. Main Ave.

Tickets are available for those who buy a copy “Where the Crawdads Sing” from Auntie’s in store, over the phone, or via the following link: https://bit.ly/2zndcaR

Tickets are also available by paying a $5 RSVP fee for readers who already own this book. RSVP fees can be paid in store, over the phone, or via the following link: https://bit.ly/2OZ0xjp.

The event was originally scheduled for Feb. 13. For more information, contact Auntie’s at (509) 838-0206.