Presented by Boxser Diversity Initiative

The Stories We Keep: Why Black History Matters

Location

Marie Selby Botanical Gardens
1534 Mound Street
Sarasota, FL 34236
Get Directions

Date & Time

Thursday, 03/12/2026
7:00pm EST - 8:30pm EST
Add to Calendar 03/12/2026 07:00:00 PM 03/12/2026 08:30:00 PM America/New_York The Stories We Keep: Why Black History Matters The stories we tell—and the ones left untold—shape how we understand our past and ourselves. This timely conversation explores how Black history, long overlooked or suppressed, continues to define our national story and our shared identity. As efforts to erase or distort this history gain ground, the speakers will reflect on why truth-telling matters—how confronting hard histories can deepen understanding, challenge assumptions, and inspire a more just and connected future. GILBERT KING is a Pulitzer Prize–winning author known for uncovering overlooked stories of courage and justice. His newest book, Bone Valley: A True Story of Injustice and Redemption in the Heart of Florida, reexamines a decades-old wrongful conviction with fresh urgency. His earlier works, including Devil in the Grove—winner of the 2013 Pulitzer Prize—Beneath a Ruthless Sun, and The Execution of Willie Francis, explore the legacy of racial violence and the ongoing fight for equality in America. DR. JAMES STEWART is Professor Emeritus at Penn State University, where his scholarship bridges economics, African American studies, and educational equity. A former Vice Provost for Educational Equity and Director of the Black Studies Program, he has authored or edited thirteen books—including Introduction to African American Studies: Transdisciplinary Approaches and Implications—and more than seventy-five scholarly articles. Dr. Stewart is also a past president of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH). DAVID WILKINS, ESQ. is a community leader, educator, and retired corporate attorney dedicated to advancing the study of African American history. The former President of Manasota ASALH, he helped launch the Manasota ASALH Freedom School in 2023 and has taught courses on American slavery and Reconstruction. A graduate of Illinois Wesleyan University and the University of Illinois School of Law, Wilkins previously served as Associate General Counsel at The Dow Chemical Company and Chief Diversity Officer for the American Red Cross. This event is free and open to all. Space is limited; reservations required.  Your support makes a difference! The Boxser Diversity Initiative relies on donations from community members like you to keep our programs free and accessible to all. Your contribution ensures we can continue bringing important conversations to our community. Please consider making a donation today. Marie Selby Botanical Gardens 1534 Mound Street Sarasota, FL 34236

Price

Free
Get Tickets

About This Event

The stories we tell—and the ones left untold—shape how we understand our past and ourselves. This timely conversation explores how Black history, long overlooked or suppressed, continues to define our national story and our shared identity. As efforts to erase or distort this history gain ground, the speakers will reflect on why truth-telling matters—how confronting hard histories can deepen understanding, challenge assumptions, and inspire a more just and connected future.

GILBERT KING is a Pulitzer Prize–winning author known for uncovering overlooked stories of courage and justice. His newest book, Bone Valley: A True Story of Injustice and Redemption in the Heart of Florida, reexamines a decades-old wrongful conviction with fresh urgency. His earlier works, including Devil in the Grove—winner of the 2013 Pulitzer Prize—Beneath a Ruthless Sun, and The Execution of Willie Francis, explore the legacy of racial violence and the ongoing fight for equality in America.

DR. JAMES STEWART is Professor Emeritus at Penn State University, where his scholarship bridges economics, African American studies, and educational equity. A former Vice Provost for Educational Equity and Director of the Black Studies Program, he has authored or edited thirteen books—including Introduction to African American Studies: Transdisciplinary Approaches and Implications—and more than seventy-five scholarly articles. Dr. Stewart is also a past president of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH).

DAVID WILKINS, ESQ. is a community leader, educator, and retired corporate attorney dedicated to advancing the study of African American history. The former President of Manasota ASALH, he helped launch the Manasota ASALH Freedom School in 2023 and has taught courses on American slavery and Reconstruction. A graduate of Illinois Wesleyan University and the University of Illinois School of Law, Wilkins previously served as Associate General Counsel at The Dow Chemical Company and Chief Diversity Officer for the American Red Cross.

This event is free and open to all. Space is limited; reservations required. 

Your support makes a difference! The Boxser Diversity Initiative relies on donations from community members like you to keep our programs free and accessible to all. Your contribution ensures we can continue bringing important conversations to our community. Please consider making a donation today.

About This Event

The stories we tell—and the ones left untold—shape how we understand our past and ourselves. This timely conversation explores how Black history, long overlooked or suppressed, continues to define our national story and our shared identity. As efforts to erase or distort this history gain ground, the speakers will reflect on why truth-telling matters—how confronting hard histories can deepen understanding, challenge assumptions, and inspire a more just and connected future.

GILBERT KING is a Pulitzer Prize–winning author known for uncovering overlooked stories of courage and justice. His newest book, Bone Valley: A True Story of Injustice and Redemption in the Heart of Florida, reexamines a decades-old wrongful conviction with fresh urgency. His earlier works, including Devil in the Grove—winner of the 2013 Pulitzer Prize—Beneath a Ruthless Sun, and The Execution of Willie Francis, explore the legacy of racial violence and the ongoing fight for equality in America.

DR. JAMES STEWART is Professor Emeritus at Penn State University, where his scholarship bridges economics, African American studies, and educational equity. A former Vice Provost for Educational Equity and Director of the Black Studies Program, he has authored or edited thirteen books—including Introduction to African American Studies: Transdisciplinary Approaches and Implications—and more than seventy-five scholarly articles. Dr. Stewart is also a past president of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH).

DAVID WILKINS, ESQ. is a community leader, educator, and retired corporate attorney dedicated to advancing the study of African American history. The former President of Manasota ASALH, he helped launch the Manasota ASALH Freedom School in 2023 and has taught courses on American slavery and Reconstruction. A graduate of Illinois Wesleyan University and the University of Illinois School of Law, Wilkins previously served as Associate General Counsel at The Dow Chemical Company and Chief Diversity Officer for the American Red Cross.

This event is free and open to all. Space is limited; reservations required. 

Your support makes a difference! The Boxser Diversity Initiative relies on donations from community members like you to keep our programs free and accessible to all. Your contribution ensures we can continue bringing important conversations to our community. Please consider making a donation today.

Getting There

Marie Selby Botanical Gardens
1534 Mound Street
Sarasota, FL 34236

Get Directions

Location

Marie Selby Botanical Gardens
1534 Mound Street
Sarasota, FL 34236
Get Directions

Date & Time

Thursday, 03/12/2026
7:00pm EST - 8:30pm EST
Add to Calendar 03/12/2026 07:00:00 PM 03/12/2026 08:30:00 PM America/New_York The Stories We Keep: Why Black History Matters The stories we tell—and the ones left untold—shape how we understand our past and ourselves. This timely conversation explores how Black history, long overlooked or suppressed, continues to define our national story and our shared identity. As efforts to erase or distort this history gain ground, the speakers will reflect on why truth-telling matters—how confronting hard histories can deepen understanding, challenge assumptions, and inspire a more just and connected future. GILBERT KING is a Pulitzer Prize–winning author known for uncovering overlooked stories of courage and justice. His newest book, Bone Valley: A True Story of Injustice and Redemption in the Heart of Florida, reexamines a decades-old wrongful conviction with fresh urgency. His earlier works, including Devil in the Grove—winner of the 2013 Pulitzer Prize—Beneath a Ruthless Sun, and The Execution of Willie Francis, explore the legacy of racial violence and the ongoing fight for equality in America. DR. JAMES STEWART is Professor Emeritus at Penn State University, where his scholarship bridges economics, African American studies, and educational equity. A former Vice Provost for Educational Equity and Director of the Black Studies Program, he has authored or edited thirteen books—including Introduction to African American Studies: Transdisciplinary Approaches and Implications—and more than seventy-five scholarly articles. Dr. Stewart is also a past president of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH). DAVID WILKINS, ESQ. is a community leader, educator, and retired corporate attorney dedicated to advancing the study of African American history. The former President of Manasota ASALH, he helped launch the Manasota ASALH Freedom School in 2023 and has taught courses on American slavery and Reconstruction. A graduate of Illinois Wesleyan University and the University of Illinois School of Law, Wilkins previously served as Associate General Counsel at The Dow Chemical Company and Chief Diversity Officer for the American Red Cross. This event is free and open to all. Space is limited; reservations required.  Your support makes a difference! The Boxser Diversity Initiative relies on donations from community members like you to keep our programs free and accessible to all. Your contribution ensures we can continue bringing important conversations to our community. Please consider making a donation today. Marie Selby Botanical Gardens 1534 Mound Street Sarasota, FL 34236

Price

Free
Get Tickets

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Funding for BDI's 2025-26 Discussion Series is provided by the Zella I. and Junius F. Allen Fund and the Edward K. Roberts Emerging Needs Fund of the Community Foundation of Sarasota County.

The Community Foundation of Sarasota County is a public charity founded in 1979 by the Southwest Florida Estate Planning Council as a resource for caring individuals and the causes they support, enabling them to make a charitable impact on the community. With assets of $488 million in more than 1,580 charitable funds, the Community Foundation awarded grants and scholarships totaling $40 million dollars last year in the areas of education, the arts, health and human services, civic engagement, animal welfare and the environment. Since its founding, the Community Foundation has been able to grant more than $435.8 million to area nonprofit organizations to our community thanks to the generosity of charitable individuals, families, and businesses. For more information, visit www.CFSarasota.org or call (941) 955-3000.