Author Talk: Bibb Country with Lonnae O’Neal 1feb

The MLK Library is excited to host author Lonnae O’Neal in conversation about her book Bibb Country: Unearthing My Family Secrets of Land, Legacy, and Lettuce, in recognition of Black History Month.

901 G St NW, Washington, DC 20001 | 3:30 – 4:30 PM

  • 45-minute conversation
  • 15-minute audience Q&A
  • book signing

Bibb Country: Unearthing My Family Secrets of Land, Legacy – and Lettuce is a deeply personal and fiercely reported exploration of several generations of Lonnae O’Neal’s family, descendants of both enslavers and enslaved, set against the sweep of American history. What began with planting Bibb lettuce seeds in her backyard led Lonnae on a five-year journey all the way back to the antebellum South—revealing ties to the Kentucky Bibb family, a complicated legacy of enslavement, emancipation, and inheritance, and a powerful connection between food, freedom, and identity. In uncovering her own roots, Lonnae transforms the stories we tell—about ourselves, our families, and our nation.