In her new book, The Black Calhouns, Gail Lumet Buckley—daughter of performer and activist Lena Horne—delves deep into her family history, detailing the experiences of an extraordinary African American family from Civil War to Civil Rights. Through the lens of her relatives’ momentous lives, Buckley examines the larger experience of black Americans during a century of struggle and triumph, exploring how her family’s story intersects with many prominent figures in history, such as Frederick Douglass, Booker T. Washington, Walter White, and W. E. B. DuBois. Copies of The Black Calhouns will be available for purchase courtesy of the Village Bookstore.

Prior to the discussion we will screen Cabin in the Sky, which was Lena Horne’s only leading role in an MGM musical. Lumet Buckley writes, “I chose Cabin in the Sky because it was the first full length picture with dialogue that my mother made; because it represented the great boost to her career; because it was Vincente Minnelli’s first feature film; and because it was the only picture my mother really enjoyed making.” Adapted from a 1940 stage musical, Cabin in the Sky stars Ethel Waters and Rex Ingram and features Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington.