Announcing the “Teach Truth” Book Launch Events–Mark Your Calendar!

I’m thrilled to invite you to the launch events for my new book, Teach Truth: The Struggle for Antiracist Education! You can pre-order a signed copy of the book from the great independent book store, Elliot Bay Books–pre-orders of the book are especially important for helping the book gain visibility.

Whether you’re in Seattle or anywhere across the country, there’s an opportunity to join the conversation about the urgent fight for honest and antiracist education. These events will kick off my national book tour aimed at making the tour more than just a series of readings—it will be an organizing effort to connect communities to the Teach Truth movement and inspire collective action.

In-Person Seattle Book Launch: Sponsored by Town Hall Seattle and the Seattle Public Library

“Teach Truth — Unbanning Books in Public Schools“
📅 Date: Thursday, January 23, 2025
⏰ Time: 7:00 pm PST
🏛️ Location: The Wyncote NW Forum at Seattle Town Hall The Wyncote NW Forum1119 8th Ave (Entrance off Seneca St.) Seattle, 98101 United States
📚 Tickets: $10 – $35 Sliding Scale (Learn more about sliding scale tickets here)

Join me for the official in-person launch of Teach Truth! This special evening will feature presentations by Ayva Thomas, Janelle Gary, and Wayne Au, as well as an exploration of the book’s themes, including the fight to defend antiracist education and reclaim suppressed history.

From Seattle Public Library’s “Books Unbanned Card”, to the fight against the firing of educators who teach honestly about race, gender, and sexuality, to the Black Lives Matter at School movement, this event will highlight how communities across the country are resisting what I call “Truthcime Laws.” Together, we’ll celebrate the power of truth-telling and collective action.

Note: This event will be approximately 75 minutes long.

👉 Reserve your tickets here: https://townhallseattle.org/event/jesse-hagopian/

Online Book Launch Event with the Zinn Education Project

“The Healing of Organized Remembering: The Struggle to Teach Truth“
📅 Date: Monday, January 13, 2025
⏰ Time: 4:00 pm PST / 7:00 pm EST
💻 Location: Virtual (accessible from anywhere!)

I’ll be joined by Cierra Kaler-Jones, executive director of Rethinking Schools, to discuss Teach Truth and the growing movement to resist bans on books and education. Together, we’ll explore how to defend honest history, build powerful coalitions, and heal through the act of organized remembering.

This online event is open to everyone, so no matter where you live, you can participate in this important discussion.

👉 Register here: https://www.zinnedproject.org/news/the-healing-of-organized-remembering/

A National Book Tour as a Movement

These two events mark the beginning of a national book tour designed to be more than a celebration of the book—it’s a movement-building effort. At each stop, I aim to connect with educators, students, parents, and community members, creating networks of support and resistance to the widespread attacks on antiracist education. Together, we can grow the Teach Truth movement and empower communities to take action in defense of honest history and transformative learning.

Why These Events Matter

Across the country, we are witnessing an unprecedented wave of attacks on education. Nearly half of all U.S. students are impacted by policies restricting how systemic racism and oppression are taught. Thousands of books have been banned, and educators face increasing threats for teaching the truth.

Teach Truth dives deep into these issues, connecting them to a rich legacy of resistance—from the fight against anti-literacy laws for enslaved people to today’s powerful social movements. These events are not just book launches—they are calls to action.

Let’s Build a Movement Together
I hope you’ll join me for one (or both!) of these events as we come together to discuss how we can defend antiracist education, reclaim our histories, and create beloved communities.