Oliver W. Hill Book Club discusses The Woman Behind the New Deal: The Life and Legacy of Frances Perkins by Kirstin Downey
In observance of Women's History Month, the Oliver W. Hill Book Club discusses The Woman Behind the New Deal: The Life and Legacy of Frances Perkins, Social Security, Unemployment Insurance, and the Minimum Wage with the author, Kirstin Downey.
The critics observed:
“The story of Ms. Perkins turns out to be, in the sympathetic hands of Ms. Downey, a remarkably good read, surprisingly full of dramatic twists despite that motherly hat and low-profile manner.” —Priscilla Taylor, The Washington Times
“Kirstin Downey gives Frances Perkins the biography she deserves, the story of a fierce advocate who put people first, a public servant who was actually worthy of the name, and a bracing reminder of what inspired government can do. Perkins ignored the glass ceiling and changed America. This book is a joy!” —Nick Taylor, author of American-Made: The Enduring Legacy of the WPA: When FDR Put the Nation to Work
“The book is more than a biography of an extraordinary woman. It is a window to another time through which we are able to observe the birthing pains of reforms we now take for granted. . . . Many passages dealing with the Great Depression, immigration and the impending world war could have been lifted from today’s news." —Charlestown Post and Courier
About the Author:
Kirstin Downey shared in the 2008 Pulitzer Prize awarded to the Washington Post staff for its coverage of the Virginia Tech shootings. In 2000, she was awarded a Nieman fellowship at Harvard University.
About the Oliver W. Hill Book Club:
The Oliver W. Hill Book Club invites readers to explore various books dealing with the law, civil rights, and social justice in America. The bi-monthly virtual Oliver W. Hill Book Club meets online. The club is named in honor of Oliver W. Hill (1907–2007), a Richmond, Virginia African American attorney and civil rights activist. His efforts, along with others, resulted in the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court ruling that racial segregation in public education is unconstitutional.
The author, Kirstin Downey, plans to join us for the discussion and will answer questions.
- Date:
- Monday, March 14, 2022
- Time:
- 6:30pm - 7:30pm
- Categories:
- Book Discussion Civic Life Law Virtual
Meldon Jenkins-Jones is the Richmond Public Library / Community Services Manager at Hull Street Branch Library.
Meldon also chairs the Get Lit Advisory Committee which supports the Richmond Public Library Get Lit Reading Initiatives including the Black Male Emergent Readers (BMER) program and the Lit Chicks Read book clubs.
Meldon is a graduate of the Leadership Metro Richmond Class of 2022. She was the first recipient of the Virginia Library Association (VLA) Librarians of Color Forum Award in 2021 and is an active member of VLA. She presented “Libraries Bringing Community Together” at the 2023 VLA Annual Conference.
In 2011, Meldon received her Master of Library and Information Studies from Florida State University. She received her Juris Doctor degree from Rutgers University School of Law—Newark and practiced law in New Jersey until her retirement in 2003. Meldon received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts, where she studied African American Studies and Russian Civilization.
A Metro Richmond resident, Meldon is the mother of two adult children and enjoys spending time with her grandchildren.
