HIGH YELLA | A Busboys and Poets Books Presentation
Date and Time
Apr 19, 2023 6:00 pm
Location
Takoma
235 Carroll St NW, Washington, District of Columbia, 20012
Apr 19, 2023 6:00 pm
Takoma
“Steve Majors’ gripping memoir provides a glimpse into the soul of a tormented man caught in the crossfire of two cruel worlds—one black, one white—as he struggles to find where he truly belongs.” - Ray Studevent, author of Black Sheep
High Yella is a family memoir that follows Majors’ life, growing up in Batavia, NY as the youngest, white-passing son in an all-Black family; and later, marrying his husband and adopting their two daughters. In this poignant account, Majors returns to a broken past to truly find himself, and as a result, helps his daughters find their own place in the world. Along the way, he grapples with family secrets, growing up in poverty, and the childhood abuse he faced—all while shedding light on the difficulties that multiracial people face in the U.S. and even within their own families and homes.
Steve Majors is joining us on the Busboys stage in conversation with WAMU host Michael King to share a valuable perspective on what it’s like to be a mixed-race queer man in a black and white America. Copies of the book will be available for purchase during and after the event, and Majors will be signing following the program.
This event is free and open to all. Our program begins at 6:00 pm, and will be followed by an audience Q&A. Copies of HIGH YELLA will be available for purchase before and after the event. Please note that this event is in person and will not be livestreamed.
We ask that guests RSVP in order to receive direct updates about the event from Busboys and Poets Books.
Steve Majors is a former television news journalist who worked for media organizations such as NBC News and most recently for mission-driven national nonprofits. His essays on race, culture, and identity have been published in the New York Times, Washington Post, Boston Globe and other outlets. Currently he serves as chief of external affairs for Teach For America. He resides in suburban Maryland with his family.
Michael King is a host/news anchor at WAMU-FM. Michael began his career in radio at Sirius/XM in Washington, D.C. He later moved to New York City, where he was a producer for Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia’s radio division. After returning to Washington D.C., in 2011, Michael worked at WAMU from 2012-2015 and returned in 2017 to host/anchor. In addition to his work at WAMU, Michael is currently a producer at NPR. Born and raised in New York City, Michael is a graduate of Howard University’s Cathy Hughes School of Communications and currently lives in Takoma Park, Maryland.
