This project, the second installment of the Holocaust Reading Series, began with the literature of the Holocaust and journeyed through contemporary genocide, continuing dialogues that began in 2011 in the rural community of London, Kentucky. Serving teachers, students, and community members from three counties, the reading series drew a monthly audience that included high school students and community members of every age.
Offering free books, literary materials, and access to speakers in the most economically disadvantaged area of the United States, as reported by the New York Times, was the cornerstone of the series’ impact and success. Olga Lengyel’s Five Chimneys provided the foundational text for the series, which went on to feature a book about the voyage of the St. Louis and concluded with a reading of Chosen to Die, Destined to Live by Frida Gashumba. The final meeting also featured a stimulating talk by Gatsinzi Basaninyenzi, professor at Alabama A&M University.
Guest speaker Gatsinzi Basaninyenzi, professor at Alabama A and M University, speaks at ameeting of the “Beyond the Holocaust” reading