Washburn University to Host the Annual iRead Lecture Sept. 14; This Free, Public Event Features Author Lawrence Goldstone

     Topeka, Kan. – Washburn University will host the annual iRead Lecture 7 p.m. Sept. 14 in White Concert Hall, on the Washburn University campus. Washburn University’s iRead program, coordinated by Washburn’s Mabee Library, encourages a community-wide reading experience, particularly among first-year students. The iRead selection for the 2023-2024 school year is “Separate No More: The Long Road to Brown v. Board of Education” by Lawrence Goldstone. During the fall 2023 semester, professors are encouraged to incorporate the book into their curriculum and the Mabee Library hosts a series of events around the book, culminating in the iRead Lecture. This event is free and open to the public.

        In the groundbreaking cases of 1952-1954 known collectively as Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, the U.S. Supreme Court decided, once and for all, the legality of segregation -- and on which side of history the United States would stand. In “Separate No More’s” examination of the path to Brown v. Board of Education, Goldstone highlights the key trials and players in the fight for integration. This story will remind readers, young and old, of the momentousness of the segregation hearings.

        Goldstone holds a Ph.D. in Constitutional history from the New School and has written extensively on Constitutional law and equal rights. His book “On Account of Race: The Supreme Court, White Supremacy, and the Ravaging of African American Voting Rights” won the highly prestigious Lillian Smith Book Award, and “Days of Infamy: How a Century of Bigotry Led to Japanese American Internment” won the 2023 Carter G. Woodson Book Award.

        "The iRead program is one of the premier events in the Washburn University calendar that brings together the community of learning to read a book about a culturally important, timely topic and to use that book as a starting point for the kinds of conversations that make communities stronger," said Sean Bird, senior associate dean of university libraries, Washburn University. "This year’s book, ‘Separate No More’ by Lawrence Goldstone, gives incoming students the opportunity to learn more about the important role of the Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka in the American Civil Rights movement and in American history."

        “Separate No More: The Long Road to Brown v. Board of Education” is available for purchase at the Ichabod Shop in the Memorial Union, on the Washburn University campus.

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