Minnesota Public Radio Presents "Say It Loud," A New Work About African-American Oratory

Jan 12, 2011

WHAT: Hosts Stephen Smith and Kate Ellis will discuss their new book, Say It Loud! Great Speeches on Civil Rights and African American Identity. The evening will also feature excerpts from their companion radio documentary. The speeches in Say it Loud! tackle recent troubling questions about what it means to be black in America. The carefully chosen talks - all recorded live - represent a range of perspectives from the past 50 years. Each is worthy of debate on its own, and the authors jumpstart that discussion with biographical and historical context in essays that precede each speech. The book includes "The Ballot or the Bullet" speech by Malcolm X in 1964, Toni Morrison's 1993 Nobel Prize lecture, and candidate Barack Obama's passionate musings on racism after the uproar over incendiary remarks by his pastor. Ellis and Smith will talk about how they chose the 23 speeches in the book, and what they learned along the way. Say It Loud! is a sequel to Ellis and Smith's path breaking 2005 volume, Say It Plain, which the Star Tribune called "full-throated public oratory, the kind that can stir the soul."

WHEN: Tuesday, Feb. 8 from 7 to 8:30 p.m.

WHERE: The UBS Forum at Minnesota Public Radio, 480 Cedar Street, St. Paul TICKETS: Admission is free but reservations are required. Go to mprnews.org.