The story of African Americans is one of history's great epics: A 400-year journey that begins in 1619 and stretches through the present, where African Americans continue on a path defined by inhuman oppression, visionary struggles, stunning achievements, and millions of ordinary lives. 

In Four Hundred Souls: A Community History of African America, 1619–2019, editors Dr. Ibram X. Kendi and Dr. Keisha N. Blain have assembled a communal history of African Americans, with 90 brilliant writers each exploring a 5-year period in that 400-year span. This format honors the many voices of Black America and celebrates the importance of the communal approach to the spirit of Black History. So, in this spirit, please join us Monday, February 1 to launch Four Hundred Souls with a stirring panel discussion featuring Kendi and Blain in conversation with some of today's sharpest minds: Alicia Garza (The Purpose of Power), The Atlantic's Clint Smith, Isabel Wilkerson (Caste), and Kiese Laymon (Heavy).

They'll explore the book's themes of resistance and struggle, hope and reinvention, and discuss how history illuminates the past, shapes the present, and guides our imagination for the future. Along with admission to the event, each ticket comes with a signed copy of Four Hundred Souls, to be fulfilled by Loyalty Bookstore.