Women's History Month event set at Lewes library March 1

In honor of Women's History Month, award-winning independent filmmaker Joanne Caputo will present a talk on “Me Too in American Slavery: The Margaret Garner Story” at 6 p.m., Thursday, March 1, at Lewes Public Library. Co-sponsored by Women's March Sussex and the Southern Delaware Alliance for Racial Justice, the presentation focuses on Caputo's research for her television series based on Garner's life.

According to Caputo, Garner's 19th century enslavement was layered with sexual bondage so complex it drove her to escape and take her own child's life in order to prevent its return to slavery. Garner's life was fictionalized in Toni Morrison's 1987 novel “Beloved.”

The "Me Too in Slavery” presentation comes at a time when the two-word hashtag Me Too – created by black civil rights activist Tarana Burke – is being used on social media to help demonstrate the widespread prevalence of sexual harassment and assault. "We're finally admitting to the problem," said Caputo, who has personal Me Too experience. “I think we're ready to look at some of its deeper cultural roots."

Caputo's research on Garner began more than 20 years ago, inspired by a private compulsion to understand Garner's child murder. After locating Garner's enslaved home in Kentucky, Caputo helped organize a 1998 preliminary archaeological dig by two universities, and a subsequent listing on the National Register of Historic Places. By 2008, Caputo published “Margaret Garner,” now an e-book endorsed by historian Charles Blockson of Temple University, author of “The Underground Railroad.” She also published an accompanying memoir about her research experience.

This event is free and open to the public. 

For more information, call 302-645-2733 during business hours or go to www.lewes.lib.de.us.