Sheffield is the President and CEO of the Atlanta History Center and has served in the past as a Trustee for the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Fox Theatre, Inc., Buckhead Coalition, Midtown Alliance, and Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau.
02/10/2021 7:00 PM
Charis Books & More
Anna Malaika Tubbs, author of The Three Mothers, in conversation with Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms. In her groundbreaking and essential debut The Three Mothers, scholar Anna Malaika Tubbs celebrates Black motherhood by telling the story of the three women who raised and shaped some of America’s most pivotal heroes. Charis is proud to be the bookseller for this event with the Atlanta History Center.
Much has been written about Berdis Baldwin’s son James, about Alberta King’s son Martin Luther, and Louise Little’s son Malcolm. But virtually nothing has been said about the extraordinary women who raised them.
Berdis Baldwin, Alberta King, and Louise Little were all born at the beginning of the 20th century and forced to contend with the prejudices of Jim Crow as Black women. These three extraordinary women passed their knowledge to their children with the hope of helping them to survive in a society that would deny their humanity from the very beginning—from Louise teaching her children about their activist roots, to Berdis encouraging James to express himself through writing, to Alberta basing all of her lessons in faith and social justice. These women used their strength and motherhood to push their children toward greatness, all with a conviction that every human being deserves dignity and respect despite the rampant discrimination they faced.
These three mothers taught resistance and a fundamental belief in the worth of Black people to their sons, even when these beliefs flew in the face of America’s racist practices and led to ramifications for all three families’ safety. The fight for equal justice and dignity came above all else for the three mothers.
These women, their similarities and differences, as individuals and as mothers, represent a piece of history left untold and a celebration of Black motherhood long overdue.
This virtual event is free and open to the public. Register at the Atlanta History Center here.
Anna Malaika Tubbs is a Cambridge Ph.D. candidate in sociology and a Bill and Melinda Gates Cambridge Scholar. After graduating Phi Beta Kappa from Stanford University with a Bachelor’s degree in anthropology, Anna received a Master’s degree from the University of Cambridge in multidisciplinary gender studies. Outside of the academy she is an educator, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion consultant, and the First Partner of Stockton, California. She lives with her husband, Michael Tubbs, who is the mayor of Stockton, and their son, Michael Malakai.
The house where much of Gone with the Wind was written beckons to tourists and native Atlantans alike who want to understand more about the author of the most popular novel of all time. The house also plays an important part in keeping Atlanta’s literary scene alive through regular events with local and national authors. Tours available every half hour.
UPDATE: The Battle of Atlanta cyclorama painting was moved to the Atlanta History Center as part of a project announced in 2014. The old Cyclorama building in Grant Park has been remodeled as an event space and became part of the Atlanta Zoo.
At 358 feet long, the Cyclorama claims to be the largest oil painting in the world — and the longest-running art exhibition in U.S. history. The in-the-round battle-scape depicting the 1864 Battle of Atlanta has been on display since 1893 and is housed in a Greek revival-style building next to the zoo. Guided tours every hour on the half hour. The Cyclorama is projected to close at its current location June 30, 2015, in preparation for moving.
Founded in 1926, the center includes the Atlanta History Museum featuring signature and traveling exhibitions, the 1845 Tullie Smith Farm, the 1928 Swan House mansion, research archives/special libraries and 33 acres of gardens. $10-$15.
Founded in 1926, the center includes the Atlanta History Museum featuring signature and traveling exhibitions, the Smith Family Farm, the 1928 Swan House mansion, research archives/special libraries, and 22 acres of gardens.