I recently learned that the second day of April is National Reconciliation Day. The history of National Reconciliation Day can be traced back to the 1980s when the advice columnist Ann Landers came up with the idea of devoting this day to mending strained relationships. For Landers, reconciliation always involves fostering understanding through improved communication.
In keeping with Landers’ idea, the Levine Museum of the New South is sponsoring an author panel discussion on April 2, 2025. Titled “Reconciliation Through Story,” this event will take place at the South Boulevard Library (4429 South Blvd.) from 6:00 to 7:30. The event is free, but registration is required. Here is the official description of the event:
Join Levine Museum on National Reconciliation Day at South Boulevard Library, for a panel discussion, moderated by Natisha Lance, with four local authors on the power of stories. Those with different perspectives can read the same book to spark conversations promoting understanding and communication which are necessary steps in reconciliation. Our panelists will speak about how their books are a part of that bridge-building process.
The author panel will include Carol Baldwin, debut author of Charlotte-based young-adult novel, Half-Truths, based in Charlotte in the 1950s; Kathleen Burkinshaw, the author of The Last Cherry Blossom, which is based on her mother’s life as a 12-year-old during the last year of WWII in Hiroshima; children’s book author Dorothy H. Price, author of the Jalen’s Big City Life series; and Daddy-Daughter Day; and Meredith Ritchie, author of Poster Girls, a women’s historical fiction novel set in Charlotte in WWII.
For more information about registering for this event, please click on the following link: https://www.museumofthenewsouth.org/lmns-events/reconciliation-through-story/
I commend the Levine Museum of the New South for sponsoring this panel discussion. All the authors on this panel are active members of the Storied Charlotte community, and they all have valuable points to make about the power of stories to bridge differences.
