Join Caleb Gayle and the Rev. Willie Bodrick II for a launch of Gayle’s new book, Black Moses: A Saga of Ambition and the Fight for a Black State. Copies of the book will be available for sale, and a select number of books will be available for free to non-Northeastern community members.

Book Synopsis: As the changes brought by the Civil War and Reconstruction began to wane, anger at the opportunities available to newly freed Black people were on the rise, prompting both Blacks and Whites to search for new places to settle. Edward McCabe, a Black businessman and rising political star, envisioned a solution: found a state for Black people to live in and govern. Eyeing Oklahoma, which had been deeded to those displaced by the Trail of Tears, McCabe’s vision was foiled by politics, business interests, and White settlers who likewise sought the land.

About the author: Caleb Gayle is an Associate Professor in the School of Journalism with a joint appointment in Africana Studies (CSSH). He is an award-winning journalist who writes about the history of race and identity. He holds fellowships from New America, PEN America, and Harvard’s Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study. Winner of the Matthew Power Literary Reporting Award, Gayle’s writing has appeared in The New York Times Magazine, The Atlantic, TIME, The Guardian, Guernica, The New Republic, The Boston Globe, among many other publications. His nonfiction work has been recognized as part of the Notable Essays Collection of the 2019 Best American Essays.

About the moderator: Rev. Willie Bodrick, II, J.D., M.Div. is the Senior Pastor of the Historic Twelfth Baptist Church in the Roxbury neighborhood of Boston. Prior to this role, he served on Twelfth Baptist’s ministerial staff for nine years as Youth and Young Adult Minister, Young Adult and College Minister, Assistant Pastor, and eventually the Associate Pastor. He holds a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree from Georgetown University, a Master of Divinity (M.Div.) degree from Harvard Divinity School, and a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from Northeastern University School of Law.