Palm Springs kicks off Black History Month with honoring black authors
Today marks the first day of Black History Month. The Palm Springs Public Library teams up with Mizell Senior Center to present "Our Voices Our Stories: Celebrating Black Authors."
Fellow book lovers crowded the room to honor the work of various black authors. The event kicked off with actress and author Jenifer Lewis. She began her career starring in Broadway musicals and her debut book "The Mother of Black Hollywood: A Memoir" received much recognition.
Those attending were able to get autographs and chat with authors like Christian Cooper, Rasheed Newson, and Trisha R. Thomas.
One local author from Palm Desert talks about how he turned his disadvantages into an advantage, “I didn't learn to read until I was like 11. So for me to become an author after being in the boiler room where they kept the special ed kids because that's how it was back in the day. So this is more of an accomplishment for me to overcome that as well," Dwayne A Ratleff said.
Organizers say this is the first year they hosted an event like this one and hope to continue doing it for years to come.
The events sponsors include: Friends of the Palm Springs Public Library, Brothers of the Desert, Coachella Valley Sisters Network, Palm Springs Women's Jazz Festival, and is endorsed by the Palm Springs Black History Committee.
