The Center for Black Literature at Medgar Evers College (CBL), in partnership with Siloam Presbyterian Church, presents a free virtual staged reading/performance featuring members of the Dr. Edith Rock Elders Writing Workshop.

Set in February 2020, just before the nation and the world reached a crisis point in its battle against COVID-19, this warm and witty presentation centers African American elders as they confront the realities of an approaching pandemic by drawing on the folk wisdom of the past.

Drawn from memories, these writers journey to a specific place in the African Diaspora and share clever stories of poultices, powders, and potions that Black women created to maintain wellness in our diverse communities. Home Remedies resists gentrification, “big pharma,” and the racism that manifests in the form of disease when we aren’t vigilant about strengthening our physical selves.

The entire community is invited to join this virtual event. Come have dinner with us—from the comfort of your own home! We can’t get together in person, but we can break bread together over Zoom. Let’s relax and reminisce about the good old days, decades before COVID-19, when all that was needed to make you feel better was a dose of your mother’s best home remedies.

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This event is funded in part by Poets & Writers with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature. We extend a very special thanks to the Amazon Literary Partnership for support of this program.