On Mother’s Day, join us for an intimate afternoon of poetry by Brooklyn-born Aja Monet, whose new collection, My Mother Was a Freedom Fighter, is an ode to mothers, daughters, and sisters—the important people who fight to change the world. Complemented by striking cover art from Carrie Mae Weems, these stunning poems tackle racism, sexism, heartbreak, and grief, but also love, motherhood, spirituality, and black joy. Angela Davis says this collection and its title poem, performed at this year's Women's March, “offers us textures of feeling and radical shifts of meaning that expand our capacity to envision and fight for new worlds.”

Monet discusses how resistance is fostered through mother-daughter relationships, bringing to life the radical legacy presented in the exhibition We Wanted a Revolution: Black Radical Women, 1965–85.

3 pm Introductions

3:15 pm Readings by Rickey Laurentiis, Arlene Casimir, Akeema Anthony, Hollis Heath, Gia Shakur, Giselle Buchanan, and Monet, with live musical accompaniment by trumpeter Linton Smith

4 pm Journalist Maytha Alhassen and activist Linda Sarsour in conversation with Monet

4:30–5 pm Book signing in our Shop

Tickets are $12 ($10 for Members). Tickets with copy of Monet’s book are $25 ($20 for Members). To receive the Member discount code, email us at membership@brooklynmuseum.org with your full name and Membership ID.