Author Talk & Book Signing with Kevin W. Young on June 20, 2024, 6 p.m.

Join us at 6:00 PM on Thursday, June 20th, for a conversation with author Kevin W. Young. Professor Young, who lectures at Appalachian State University, spent 17 years researching the story of Broadus Miller, a black man who was hunted and killed in 1927 for the murder of a white teenage girl. Miller's body was displayed on the Burke County Courthouse and mobs of people came to see it. Pictures from that time capture local Burke County residents thronged around the square for the grizzly event. But this is not the straightforward story you might expect. Broadus Miller had served time for killing a black woman in South Carolina. He was also judged at that time to be severely mentally ill.

Professor Young spent a good deal of time in Morganton researching the story and talking to local residents. His presentation will offer a rare and fascinating look back at the 1920s in Burke County and the South as well as a discussion of racial justice and mental health treatment. Please join us!