Register to attend IN-PERSON or WATCH ONLINE. The video link for the livestreamed event will be emailed to all registrants on the day of the lecture. The captioned video will be available to view for one week, expiring on February 6, 2025.

Just in time for the 120th anniversary of the song “Lift Every Voice and Sing”–Sing a Song celebrates the Black National Anthem and how it inspired five generations of a family.

Kelly Starling Lyons is a founding member of The Brown Bookshelf, a teaching artist, and an award-winning author of more than 30 books for young readers. Her mission is to center Black heroes, celebrate family, friendship, & heritage, and show all kids the stories they hold inside. Among her acclaimed picture books are Caldecott Honor winner Going Down Home with Daddy, Christopher Award winner Tiara’s Hat Parade, and Bank Street Best Books selections Sing a Song: How Lift Every Voice & Sing Inspired Generations and My Hands Tell a Story. Kelly is also the author of three popular series for young people—chapter books starring her characters Jada Jones and Miles Lewis, and the Ty’s Travels easy readers which won a Geisel Honor for Zip, Zoom. Her nonfiction titles include two books in Chelsea Clinton’s She Persisted series, chapter books on Dr. Dorothy I. Height and Mrs. Coretta Scott King. Kelly was named to Good Morning America’s 2021 list, Who’s Making Black History. She regularly presents to schools, libraries, festivals, and conferences around the country

Copies of Sing a Song: How Lift Every Voice and Sing Inspired Generations are available from City of Asylum Bookstore.