Margaret A. Burnham to Discuss Her Book BY HANDS KNOW KNOWN at The Music Hall Lounge in October

The 7pm event includes an author discussion moderated by Portsmouth's Assistant MayorJoanna Kelley.

By: Aug. 16, 2022
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Margaret A. Burnham to Discuss Her Book BY HANDS KNOW KNOWN at The Music Hall Lounge in October

On Tuesday, October 4, legal scholar and founding director of Northeastern University's Civil Rights and Restorative Justice Project, Margaret A. Burnham comes to The Music Hall Lounge. She will discuss her book, BY HANDS KNOW KNOWN, an in-depth investigation into Jim Crow era violence, the legal systems that sustained it, and its enduring legacy in 21st century America.


The 7pm event includes an author discussion moderated by Portsmouth's Assistant MayorJoanna Kelley, followed by an audience Q&A. It will be held at The Music Hall Lounge at 131 Congress St., in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

"Margaret Burnham is a civil rights legend and has dedicated her life to seeking justice in all its forms. Her new book is just the latest addition to an already impressive career," said Brittany Wason, Literary Producer for The Music Hall. "We are honored to welcome her to our theater and hear more about the stories she unearthed during her in-depth investigation."


ABOUT THE BOOK

If the law cannot protect a person from a lynching, then isn't lynching the law?

Margaret Burnham's book BY HANDS NOW KNOWN challenges our understanding of the Jim Crow era by exploring the relationship between formal law and background legal norms in a series of harrowing cases from 1920 to 1960. From rendition, the legal process by which states make claims to other states for the return of their citizens, to battles over state and federal jurisdiction, and the outsize role of local sheriffs in enforcing racial hierarchy, Burnham maps the criminal legal system in the mid-twentieth-century South and traces the unremitting line from slavery to the legal structures of this period and through to today.

Drawing on an extensive database, collected over more than a decade and exceeding 1,000 cases of racial violence, she reveals the true legal system of Jim Crow, and captures the memories of those whose stories have not yet been heard.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Margaret A. Burnham is the founding director of Northeastern University's Civil Rights and Restorative Justice Project, which investigates racial violence in the Jim Crow era and other historical failures of the criminal justice system. Burnham has enjoyed a long and varied career as a civil rights lawyer, defense attorney, judge, and professor of law. In 2021, she was nominated by President Biden and confirmed this year by the US Senate to serve on the Civil Rights Cold Case Records Review Board. She lives in Boston, Massachusetts.


TICKETS

The ticket package for Talks: Margaret Burnham with BY HANDS NOW KNOWN, on Tuesday, October 4, at 7pm is $47. In addition to a reserved seat, the package includes a signed copy of BY HANDS NOW KNOWN ($30, hardcover), beverage, author discussion, audience Q+A, and post-show meet-and-greet. Packages can be purchased online at TheMusicHall.org, over the phone at 603.436.2400, or in person at the B2W Box Office at the Historic Theater, 28 Chestnut Street.

About Talks

In this Age of Participation, The Music Hall has expanded its programming to focus on issues critical to our time. The Talks series, formerly named Innovation + Leadership, was first launched to serve our local business community, bringing together the best and the brightest in technology. The series has since broadened to showcase opinion leaders, authors and all variety of educators, and to serve audiences from a tri-state region and beyond-all who are interested in bettering the worlds they live in, at work and at home, locally and around the world. These lively and informative conversations feature experts in their field sharing experiences and providing participants practical tools for making meaningful advances in their lives. From demonstrations in the art of all things digital to special forums featuring regional and global leaders in sustainability, from book discussion-demonstrations on the positive effect of meditation to awareness-raising events led by today's champions in philanthropy, feminism, and family matters, each Talks event is memorable and impactful. The Music Hall is committed to community building and personal flourishing. Our Talks series delivers on that commitment.

About The Music Hall

The Music Hall is an active and vital cultural center in downtown Portsmouth, New Hampshire, dedicated to advancing the tri-state region's cultural life through the performing arts, literature, and education. A community-supported 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, it presents entertainment from around the world and around the corner-the greatest musicians, writers, and performers of the time, extraordinary films, and award-winning documentaries. Its 600 yearly events delight an annual audience of 130,000 (including 20,000 children) in two theaters-an 1878 Victorian-era Historic Theater and the intimate Music Hall Lounge. The Music Hall is a designated "American Treasure for the Arts." Through innovative community partnerships, it subsidizes thousands of tickets each year to make the arts accessible to all. The Music Hall is community-oriented and committed to helping the Seacoast region flourish.




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