Happy spring from Hooks Book Events! Spring has sprung, bees are buzzing, birds are singing and HBE is working to build bridges in our community through our wonderful new series of Bridge Builder Events.
March found us with the team from area nonprofit A WIDER CIRCLE hosting data scientist Cathy O’Neil discussing her new book, Weapons of Math Destruction. AWC supporters joined local business leaders to learn about the dark side of Big Data — the mysterious algorithms at the core of many decisions made about our health care, education and housing, that are propping up the lucky and punishing the downtrodden. Check out the book and Cathy’s blog, Mathbabe.
In mid-April we visited DC public school Washington Metropolitan High School, where we partnered with local nonprofit Access Youth for a book talk with our good friend from East Baltimore, D. Watkins. The DC chapter of YPO helped us buy copies of Watkins’ book The Cook Up for every student and teacher in the school, and D. talked to the students at a pre-lunch assembly. You could have heard a pin drop! D.’s friend, Kondwani Fidel, a young poet who is also from East Baltimore, was in the house doing slam poetry, also a big hit. Afterward, some of the Access Youth students joined the YPO luncheon with area executives. D. spoke there as well and made a huge impact.
The next day, we gathered early in the morning in Anacostia at THEARC with the amazing yogi Jessamyn Stanley, author of Every Body Yoga: Let Go of Fear, Get On the Mat, Love Your Body. Sitting on her mat in THEARC auditorium, she showed us that yoga isn’t about how one looks, but how one feels, and shared the wisdom of yoga as a way of managing our health and emotions. Jessamyn’s parting words, “All you need is inside!” The Washington Post and WJL TV’s Good Morning Washington covered the event. Watch Here>>
If you would like to learn more about HBE’s Bridge Builder series and how you can help, please email Perry.