‘Learning From Birmingham: A Journey into History and Home’ By Julie Buckner Armstrong English professor and Civil Rights scholar, Dr. Julie Buckner Armstrong’s newest book is part historical nonfiction and part memoir of her and her family’s connection to her hometown of Birmingham, Alabama. She digs deep into her own family’s history and the city’s local narratives to trace connections to the larger Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s and lessons that can be applied to 21st century America. (University of Alabama Press) Photo c/o Tombolo Books Credit: C/o Tombolo Books

History nerds throughout Tampa Bay have already learned a lot from Julie Buckner Armstrong, who is an expert on many of the buried Black cemeteries in St. Pete. But in a new memoir about her birthplace, the University of South Florida St. Petersburg English professor touches upon her experiences in Birmingham while leaning hard on the history of the civil rights movement that was happening around her while she was a toddler.

For her upcoming book talk moderated by NPR’s Eric Deggans, Bucker discusses the interviews, research and lessons from the release of “Learning From Birmingham: A Journey into History and Home”.

There is no cover for Julie Buckner Armstrong’s “Learning From Birmingham” talk, happening Wednesday, Sept. 6 at 6:45 p.m. Unfortunately, the free RSVPs for this event are already booked up, but keep an eye on its Eventbrite page in case a few more seats are released.

While the talk is sold out, you can always grab a copy of “Learning from Birmingham” from Tombolo Books (2153 1st Ave. S), which has about 35 copies in-store. Subscribe to Creative Loafing newsletters.

This article appears in Aug 24-30, 2023.