Book Swap & ABHM Book Club

In partnership with the Milwaukee Public Library, join America’s Black Holocaust Museum (ABHM) at the MPL–Good Hope Branch for an evening of conversation exploring the accessibility of scholarship, activism, and the role cultural institutions play in telling the story of America. The evening will conclude with an ABHM Book Club discussion of Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings by Annette Gordon-Reed followed by a community book swap.

5:00–6:00 PM — Community Panel Discussion
Join ABHM and MPL for an open community dialogue as we approach the 250th anniversary of the United States. Hear from local scholars, organizers, historians, and activists about how their work intersects with America250 and the importance of public history, civic engagement, and accessible scholarship. The discussion will also include reflections gathered from the community Wish Walls featured at several MPL branches.

6:00–7:00 PM — ABHM Book Club Discussion
Participate in a discussion of Annette Gordon-Reed’s groundbreaking 1997 study, Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings: An American Controversy, which examines the relationship between Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings while challenging the ways American history has traditionally been interpreted and remembered. Participants are encouraged to read the book in advance. Copies of this title, along with Gordon-Reed’s The Hemingses of Monticello: An American Family, are available through the Milwaukee Public Library.

7:00–7:30 PM — Community Book Swap
Bring a book to pass along to a new reader and exchange it for a different title to take home. Guests without a book are still encouraged to participate, and books will be available while supplies last.

Monday, June 22, 2026

ABHM Book Club, Book Swap & Panel

5:00–6:00 PM — Panel Discussion
6:00–7:00 PM — Book Club Discussion
7:00–7:30 PM — Community Book Swap

Location: Milwaukee Public Library – Good Hope Branch

Free Admission