Many CBH Talks were recorded. To view, visit the Center for Brooklyn History Talks YouTube channel at bklynlib.org/CBH-Talks.
Past Events
CBH Talk | Deborah Archer and James Forman Discuss “Dividing Lines”
In her new book, Dividing Lines: How Transportation Infrastructure Reinforces Racial Inequality, acclaimed scholar and ACLU President Deborah Archer shows how seemingly innocuous transit planning functions – the development of roads, sidewalks, dividers, and other infrastructures –…
Environmental Injustice: Race, Class, and Toxic Inequality | The Path to Today
Join us for the first event in a three-part series exploring the intersection of racial inequality and the environment. Part 1 delves into the systemic roots of environmental racism and confronts a critical question: Why are communities of color and low-wealth populations…
CBH Talk | Five Years After George Floyd: The Fight Today
On May 25, 2020, the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin stunned the nation and ignited a global uprising.
As we mark the fifth anniversary of that tragic day, CBH brings together three leading voices to examine the protests, their…
CBH Talk | Voices from the Past: Tracing Black Lineage and the Power of Genealogy
Being the narrators and experts of our own pasts comes with unique challenges for Black Americans. What we know about our families matters—and everyone deserves the ability to honor their ancestors’ stories.
CBH’s new exhibition, Trace/s, explores the crucial…
CBH Talk | “Capitalism and Its Critics” with John Cassidy and Doug Henwood
In his new book, Capitalism and Its Critics: A History from the Industrial Revolution to AI, The New Yorker’s John Cassidy traces 200 years of global capitalism through the voices of its most insightful and influential critics. At a time when technology, climate change, inequality,…
Opening the Archives: Exploring the CBH Collection - Building Research
One of the most common research topics at CBH is Brooklyn’s buildings. Join us for a hands-on workshop in the Othmer Library, led by urban data historian Jeremy Lechtzin and CBH archives manager Dee Bowers. This session will introduce you to four key collections used for building…
CBH Talk | Larry Racioppo’s Photographs of Loss and Remembrance in NYC
We all die. Rich and poor, famous and unknown, we all meet the same fate. Almost everyone is mourned, but the method can vary greatly.
Larry Racioppo, "Here Down On Dark Earth"
In Here Down On Dark Earth,…
CBH Talk | Claire Hoffman and Eliza Griswold Discuss “Sister, Sinner: The Miraculous Life and Mysterious Disappearance of Aimee Semple McPherson”
On a spring day in 1926, Aimee Semple McPherson wandered into the Pacific Ocean and vanished. The nation’s most famous evangelist, Aimee was known as a sophisticated marketer who had used Hollywood magic and the newest technology to bring her message to the masses. Although Aimee’s Pentecostal…
CBH Talk | The Divine Nine: The Origins and History of Black Greek-Letter Fraternities and Sororities
The Divine Nine, formally known as the National Pan-Hellenic Council, are nine historically Black Greek-letter fraternities and sororities that have played a pivotal role in shaping Black American life and culture. The first of these organizations, Alpha Phi Alpha, was founded in…
CBH Talk | Apology and Repair for Slavery: Grenada as a Case Study
To The People of Grenada
We, the undersigned, write to apologise for the actions of our ancestors in holding your ancestors in slavery…Slavery was and is a crime against humanity. Its damaging effects continue to the present day. …
Genealogy Workshop: Researching Your Family's Roots at the Center for Brooklyn History
Are you curious about researching your family's history, but don't know where to start? Have you watched television programs about exploring your roots, and wondered what a deep dive into your own family history might reveal? Have you always wanted to find the historical evidence behind the…
Poets in the Archive
CBH’s special collections are a treasure trove of inspiration. In celebration of Poetry Month, we invited eight accomplished poets to explore our archives in search of creative sparks. Delving into a range of subjects—from local wildlife and the built environment to Brooklyn’s LGBTQ+…
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