Neuse Regional Libraries have made it a priority to offer programming that is as diverse as the communities we serve, and in partnership with the City of Kinston and the Lenoir County Government, we are thrilled to invite everyone to our “Coming Together: A Community Celebration” series! It is so important, now more than ever, to honor humanity’s resilience and join one another in the spirit of unity, compassion, and understanding.

Coming Together consists of several book discussions, an informative lecture, and a Juneteenth commemoration to give people opportunities to speak their truth, explore new perspectives, and honor a culture that continues to overcome adversity. 

On Thursday, May 13th at 6:30 pm in the Schechter Auditorium of the Kinston-Lenoir County Public Library, Mayor Pro Tem and educator Felicia Solomon will join First Presbyterian Church Elder Mike Martin in leading a discussion of the book, So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo. This title is an exploration of the complex reality of today's racial landscape and offers straightforward clarity that readers need to begin dismantling the racial divide

On Thursday, May 20th at 6:30 pm in the Schechter Auditorium, Jamie Thompson of Pink Hill United Methodist Church, Rev. James H Mumford, M.Div., ordained Associate Minister with United American Free Will Baptist Denomination, and Tiffani Koonce, Founder & Executive Director of Freedom on the Inside, INC. will lead a discussion of the book, Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson. Just Mercy is a civil rights lawyer’s memoir about the Equal Justice Initiative and his decades of work to free innocent people condemned to death. 

On Tuesday, May 25th at 6:30 pm there will be a Zoom presentation by Dr. Danielle Purifoy, lawyer and Professor of Geography at UNC-Chapel Hill, on the history of environmental racism in Eastern North Carolina, the grassroots activist movements that have pushed for environmental and racial justice, and the urgent issues facing the region's communities today. The presentation will be followed by a Q & A in which all audience members will be invited to bring their questions and comments to the conversation.

On Thursday, June 10th at 5:30 p.m. in the Schechter Auditorium, come watch the film Just Mercy based on the book by Bryan Stevenson, starring Michael B. Jordan and Jamie Foxx.  Enjoy free pizza before the film and stay afterwards for a discussion led by Jaime Thompson and M. Grady-Wheatley, M.S., Board Member of the African American Heritage Commission of Kinston and Lenoir County.

The 2021 Juneteenth Celebration will take place on Saturday, June 19th from 10 am – 2 pm at the African American Music Trail Park. This special community gathering commemorates the end of slavery in the U.S. and will include presentations and performances by Dr. Malcolm Beech, Brenda Stewart, Antuan Hawkins, Clevette Roberts, StageLYFE Dancers and more!

There will be food trucks, vendors, and plenty of activities for all ages. Juneteenth is brought to you by the Lenoir County Friends of the Library, the Kinston Arts Council, the Lenoir County Parks and Recreations Department, the City of Kinston, and the Lenoir County Government.

The final program of this series will take place on Thursday, June 24 at 6:30 p.m. in the Schechter Auditorium where participants will read and discuss How to be an Anti-Racist by Ibram X. Kendi. An electrifying combination of ethics, history, law, science, and personal narrative, this essential work is for anyone who wants to go beyond an awareness of racism to the next step: contributing to the formation of a truly just and equitable society. The guest moderators for this discussion will be the city of Kinston’s Sarah Arney and St. John FWB Church Pastor William Hudson. 

We hope you will join us at any or all of these events to acknowledge and strengthen the connections we have to each other as community members and human beings. For those interested in copies of the reading discussion titles, please stop by the Kinston-Lenoir County Public Library or place a hold at our website, www.neuselibrary.org. Those who choose not to read the book selections are still welcome to attend and participate in discussions! For more information on any of these programs please call 252.527.7066 ext. 134.