Almost Hereditary: The Roots of Racism in My Southern Family

In honor of Black History Month, Bill Drake presents “Almost Hereditary: The Roots of Racism in My Southern Family,” a presentation with stories, readings, poems, and slides.  The readings will be from the diary of Bill’s great-great-grandmother whose sons fought in the Civil War and whose family owned slave plantations in Mississippi.  Bill will share how racism was passed down his family lineage. Like his mother before him, he grew up in what was called the “Jim Crow era,” a time of extreme segregation in the South.  As a child he was taught to believe in white supremacy, a concept he rejected after two pivotal experiences during his late teenage years.  He is the co-founder of Creating Communities Beyond Bias, which offers workshops for students related to unlearning prejudice.   Revised copies of his book Almost Hereditary: A White Southerner’s Journey Out of Racism, A Guide for Unlearning and Healing Prejudice will be available for sale and signing. 

The event is a benefit for the North Columbia Schoolhouse Cultural Center