Events
Rachel gives readings and talks at libraries, conferences, history museums, genealogical societies, and universities. She is always happy to read from her books and to give talks on creative writing, and her specialties include Meditative Writing, Writing Ancestry/ Writing with the Ancestors, Literary Ethics, Hybrid Forms, Writing Through Grief, and Writing as Listening. Rachel also offers online workshops that combine guided meditation and creative writing through her teaching site, Meditative Creative Writing.
To book an event with Rachel, please visit the contact page.
Here are her upcoming events:
The Banneker Family and the American Revolution, an event with the DAR
The DAR—Daughters of the American Revolution—are going to recognize the Banneker Family with a tree planting ceremony, a speaker’s series, and a reading from Benjamin Banneker and Us. It will take place at the Benjamin Banneker Park & Museum in Oella, MD.
Pre-concert talk of the Sea Came Up & Drowned
This is my book of ecopoetics that has been adapted into a choral opera by composer Nick Cline. It will be performed by the Grammy Award winning vocal ensemble, The Crossing, directed by Donald Nally. At the Presbyterian Church of Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia,
Benjamin Banneker and Us Book Talk at the Homewood Museum of Johns Hopkins University
Rachel will read and give a talk about Benjamin Banneker and her book at the historic Homewood Museum of Johns Hopkins University, in person, 5:30 pm. ET.
Finding Your Roots on WTTW
With her cousin and fellow Banneker descendant Edwin Lee, Rachel will participate in a filmed panel discussion at Chicago’s PBS station, WTTW, about mixed ancestry, the story of her book, and the acclaimed show, Finding Your Roots.
Benjamin Banneker and Us: Glenview Public Library, North Suburban Genealogical Society
Rachel Jamison Webster shares the story of her ancestor, Benjamin Banneker, an African American mathematician hired by Thomas Jefferson to survey Washington, DC. She describes how a family reunion began a genealogical quest to connect relatives across lines of color, culture, and time, putting the past into urgent conversation with the present. Presented in partnership with the North Suburban Genealogical Society.
FAN (FAMILY ACTION NETWORK): TO TELL THE TRUTH: RACE, IDENTITY & HEALING
Rachel will be in conversation with artist and therapist Melissa Blount about Benjamin Banneker and Us. They will explore how excavating ancestral and cultural histories can facilitate healing in our personal lives, our families, and our societies. Sponsored by FAN, the Family Action Network.
AMERICAN INSPIRATION SERIES, NEW ENGLAND HISTORIC GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY
Tuesday, April 2, at 6 p.m. ET, on Zoom. I will be in conversation with Kendra Field, Director for the Center for the Study of Race and Democracy at Tufts University and author of Growing Up with the Country: Family Race and Nation After the Civil War. On Zoom, hosted by The New England Historic Genealogical Society.
Banneker Descendants and the Washington Wizards at Banneker HS
Rachel and fellow Banneker descendants will be joined by members of the Washington Wizards NBA team to tell Banneker’s story and share the book with students at the Benjamin Banneker Academic High School in Washington D.C.
AUTHOR TALK: BENJAMIN BANNEKER AND US
I will be giving a talk about my book, Benjamin Banneker and Us on Zoom, 7:30-8:30 ET, on Wednesday, February 7. Hosted by the Ruth Keeler Memorial Library in North Salem, NY.
WRITING WITH THE DEAD
This course is for anyone called to the crossroads of ancestry, writing, and culture. Participants will be guided to bring alive their personal and lineage stories through practices of co-writing and ritual reconnection with the dead who are not dead. By affirming that our ancestors can be active participants in our lives and creations, we open ourselves to channel the poems, essays, and stories that we most need to write—both to understand the past and to live fully in the present. Each week, we’ll engage in both guided rituals to safely connect with lineage ancestors and in practical writing exercises.