Join us for season three of the 1 Bear 1 Book alumni wide book club!!
Loyal Brunonians know that Ruth Simmons was immensely effective as one of the Ivy League’s first woman presidents. But most of us didn’t know, until UP HOME: ONE GIRL’S JOURNEY was published last year, that she was the youngest of 12 children born to a sharecropper couple in Grapeland, Texas and the only one to graduate from college. Her achievements were, and continue to be, formidable. Against all odds, she obtained her PhD at Harvard in Romance Languages, taught at several Eastern universities, became President of Smith College and from there arrived at Brown to become one of our alma mater’s most successful presidents.
How did this high achiever accomplish so much is revealed in this beautifully told story of determination, self-discipline, and resolute optimism. Pamela Paul, writing in the New York Times, proclaims “This is a book you’ll want to pass on to all the young people in your life, no matter their background, just so they can have a little of Simmons’ wise voice in their heads. I’d urge every educator to assign UP HOME to high school students or incoming college freshmen. It’s that good.” Brown was blessed to have such a self-made person at its helm, but Ruth gives credit to her mother, and the relative freedom she enjoyed at Wellesley and other northern colleges. Significantly, after a highly successful presidency at Brown, Ruth accepted the presidency of Prairie View University an historically black college, part of the Texas state supported system. Her inspiring message resonated with critics and is likely to do so with you too.
The 1 Bear 1 Book Alumni wide book club is proud to present a discussion with Ruth about her book. Ruth will attend virtually with Matthew Guterl, University Professor of Africana and American Studies who wrote SKINFOLKS, the critically acclaimed story of how his parents chose to create a multiracial family through adoption and its effects on his siblings. To begin the evening, Matt will conduct an unrehearsed discussion of UP HOME with Ruth to be followed by questions from the audience. Register with us now as space is limited.
Cost: Free. Zoom link provided upon registration.