New York Times bestselling author Ibram X. Kendi spoke to over 100 people during his stop in Gainesville on Friday to discuss his adaptation for young readers of Zora Neale Hurston’s acclaimed non-fiction work, “Barracoon.”
Gainesville is one of 11 cities on Kendi’s book tour and the discussion was held at Lincoln Middle School at 1001 SE 12 St.
The discussion was moderated by Deborah G. Plant, the book’s editor.
“Barracoon: The Story of the ‘Last Black Cargo'” was first published in 2018 — 87 years after Hurston completed the book — and tells the true-life story of Cudjoe Lewis, one of the last survivors of the Atlantic slave trade.
Plant asked Kendi why he selected “Barracoon” as one of the books to adapt to youth.
“I don’t feel like Zora Neale Hurston received her due in anti-racist work,” Kendi said. “As an American legend, it is important to read her work early on. We have all these books based from Langston Hughes, why not have books based from Zora Neale Hurston’s work.”
Plant also asked Kendi about the state of Black history and why it is important now more than ever to teach it.