Three Rivers Youth Autumn Soiree and Book Signing

Created on Friday, 19 October 2012 10:39 Last Updated on Monday, 03 December 2012 20:13 Published on Friday, 19 October 2012 10:39 Written by Debbie Norrell Hits: 777

On a clear Thursday night, Oct. 11, that some referred to as fight night due the vice presidential debate and the Steeler game both airing on this same evening, Three Rivers Youth (TRY) took a different route and welcomed guests to an Autumn Soiree and Book Signing at the beautiful LeMont Restaurant to celebrate a great work. Dozens of guests dined on salmon and chicken, and enjoyed ice cream with chocolate sauce for dessert.

SIGNING THE BOOK—Peggy Harris, TRY president and CEO, with Jessie Ramey

After dining sufficiently, Larry Glasco, PhD, introduced Jessie B. Ramey, PhD, author of “Child Care in Black and White,” published by the University of Illinois Press. The book has already received the John Heinz Award from the National Academy of Social Insurance, the Lerner-Scott Prize in women’s history from the Organization of American Historians, and the Herbert G. Gutman Prize from the Labor and Working-Class History Association.

Ramey is an ACLS new faculty fellow in Women’s Studies and History at the University of Pittsburgh. When asked why she chose this topic for her book she replied, “I launched this project hoping to learn more about African-American child welfare efforts, about which we really know very little. When I found the Home for Colored Children—and then discovered its White ‘sister’ orphanage, started by the very same person—I knew that I was onto a story. The two organizations are still around today, now serving troubled teens, and key for me as a historian, both still had their records. These are amazing collections that allowed me to do an in-depth comparative analysis of Black and White childcare at the turn of the last century. The book is a case study of these two orphanages that reflect the larger, national story of race, gender and class relationships underlying the development of our child welfare systems.”

The evening concluded with a book signing where Ramey signed books and engaged with TRY supporters and staff.

Spotted: Rev. Sam Ware, Bill and Ruthie King, Russell and Kathy Bynam, Donna Baxter, Chauncey and Bernice Smith, and Daimian and Lovie Foster.