Event Details:
Join editor Deborah Santana & contributing authors in presentations of All the Women in My Family Sing
– Brought to you by The Vineyard Haven Public Library –
On this dynamic evening, editor Deborah Santana and other contributing authors (Kristin Leavy-Miller, and Vineyard locals, Lisa A. Jones and Lalita Tademy,) will speak about the realities, joys and challenges of being a woman of color in the 21st century. The authors will read from their essays, answer questions, and sign books. Their personal stories will create a bridge between worlds we know very well, and those we do not.
WHEN: Wednesday, August 22 @ 7 pm
WHERE: Katharine Cornell Theater, 51 Spring Street, Vineyard Haven, MA
MORE DETAILS: https://allthewomeninmyfamilysing.com/eventsx/2018/8/22/panel-discussion
“Each of these brief, poignant pieces illuminates one woman’s negotiation between her aspiration and the forces that would constrict her dreams. All the Women in My Family Sing is essential reading.”
– Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Alphonse Fletcher University Professor, Harvard University
“Editor Deborah Santana has assembled a rich mélange of writers…..who go deep on a range of issues that will meet you where your heart beats.”
– Essence Magazine
Why This Event & Book Is So Important.
This new book from Nothing But The Truth Publishing, LLC is an anthology documenting the experiences of women of color at the dawn of the twenty-first century. It is a vital collection of prose and poetry whose topics range from the pressures of being the vice-president of a Fortune 500 Company, to escaping the killing fields of Cambodia, to the struggles inside immigration, identity, romance, and self-worth. Contributors include America Ferrera, Samina Ali, Natalie Baszile (Queen Sugar), Porochista Khakpour (Sons and Other Flammable Objects), Lalita Tademy (Cane River), Mila Jam, Marian Wright Edelman (Children’s Defense Fund), and many more.
This anthology is monumental and timely as human rights and justice are being challenged around the world. The essays in All the Women in My Family Sing show readers how very alike we are, no matter our skin color, ethnic heritage, or place we live. The essays give access to a symphony of experiences that women of color have in today’s world.
It is a watershed title, not only written, but produced entirely by women of color, including the publishing, editing, process management, book cover design, and promotions. Editor Deborah Santana is on a mission to empower underrepresented voices and to impact the world of publishing in America — particularly important in a time when 80% of people who work in publishing self-identify as white (as found recently in a study by Lee & Low Books, and reported on NPR).
“This moving anthology of essays by women of color illuminates the struggles, traditions, and life views of women at the dawn of the 21st century. The 69 authors grapple with identity, belonging, self-esteem, and sexuality, among other topics.”
– Publishers Weekly
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Deborah Santana
Deborah Santana is an author, business manager, and activist for peace and social justice. Her non-profit, Do A Little, serves women and girls in the areas of health, education, and happiness. With a passion to provide educational opportunities for girls and women, Ms. Santana collaborates with organizations that work to prevent and heal relationship and sexual violence, improve the lives of America’s abused and neglected children, and a worldwide community of artists and allies who work for empowerment, opportunity, and visibility for women artists.
In 2005, she published her memoir: Space Between the Stars that told of her experiences growing up as a bi-racial child, and her coming of age.
Ms. Santana has produced five short documentary films, four with Emmy-award winning director Barbara Rick: Road to Ingwavuma, Girls of Daraja, School of My Dreams, and Powerful Beyond Measure. These films highlight the work of non-profit partners in South Africa, and the Daraja Academy, a free secondary boarding school for girls in Kenya.
She has served as a trustee for ANSA (Artists for a New South Africa), the Smithsonian Institution, and is a supporter of Marian Wright Edelman’s Children’s Defense Fund. She is a mother to three beloved adult children: Salvador, a songwriter and instrumental artist, Stella, a singer/songwriter, and Angelica, an archivist and film producer.
Ms. Santana holds a Master of Arts in Philosophy and Religion with a Concentration in Women’s Spirituality.
A leadership donor of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, she works for the rights and advancement of people of color.