The author, Dr Alison Rose Jefferson, is an independent historian and heritage conservation consultant, who visits Senegal frequently for professional reasons. Her presentation strove to illuminate erased and overlooked stories about African Americans’ fight for dignity, equal access and the full range of human experience and self-fulfillment. Drawing from her research in California, she, in her book, takes a fresh approach to looking at the historical practices of relaxation and recreation at outdoor and public spaces for all people in the US: at beaches, mountains and other scenic locales connected to the long freedom rights struggle. In her presentation, she also dwelt on the ways in which civic engagement, justice and equality can be energized by the knowledge of past practices to remove the shackles of racial prejudices and bigotry.

The event took place on January 6^th, 2023 at the West African Research Center (WARC) and was attended by 18 people.