Book Discussion of The Black Butterfly: The Harmful Politics of Race and Space in America

In The Black Butterfly: The Harmful Politics of Race and Space in America, Lawrence T. Brown reveals that ongoing historical trauma caused by a combination of policies, practices, systems, and budgets is at the root of uprisings and crises in hyper-segregated cities around the country. Putting Baltimore under a microscope, Brown looks closely at the causes of segregation, many of which exist in current legislation and regulatory policy despite the common belief that overtly racist policies are a thing of the past.

Throughout the book, Brown offers a clear five-step plan for activists, nonprofits, and public officials to achieve racial equity. In her interview with the author for the Baltimore Fishbowl, Sheri Booker wrote, “It's not every day that a blueprint is created to directly address the issues of an urban city. This book is not only an eye-opener, but also a call to action, and a reminder of the work that needs to be done to heal a city with many open wounds."

Join your colleagues for a peer discussion about the role of our sector in this call to action to promote racial equity, end redlining, and reverse the damaging health- and wealth-related effects of segregation.

Lawrence T. Brown, The Black Butterfly: The Harmful Politics of Race and Space in America | On February 17, 2021, OSI-Baltimore co-sponsored a Talking About Race event with the Enoch Pratt Free Library as part of their Writers Live! series. It was presented in partnership with AARP Maryland and OSI-Baltimore Fellows Advisory Board. Watch a recording of the event.

This program is for Maryland Philanthropy Network members only.

Maryland is home to many local bookstores with this book in stock. We encourage you to consider supporting our small businesses ahead of this discussion. If you need some ideas of where to look here are a few: Charm City Books (Baltimore, MD), Greedy Reads (Baltimore, MD), The Ivy Bookshop (Baltimore, MD), Red Emma’s (Baltimore, MD), Urban Reads Bookstore (Baltimore, MD), A Likely Story Bookstore (Sykesville, MD), Mahogany Books (Washington, DC), and Loyalty Bookstores (Petworth and Silver Spring, MD). You can also support local stores and global literacy through Bookshop or Better World Books.