Easter Closure—Sunday, April 20

All DMPL locations will be closed on Sunday, April 20 for the Easter holiday. Regular hours and services will resume on Monday, April 21.

North Side Construction - Detour Route

Ongoing construction on Euclid Avenue may limit the ability to access the North Side Library parking lot from the north. If you're visiting the North Side Library, you may reach the parking lot from the south by traveling on Ovid Ave. and then turning north onto 5th Ave. Please see the North Side Library page for a diagram.

AViD Presents: Amina Luqman-Dawson

Program Type:

Author Visits

Age Group:

Children, Teens, Adults
Please note you are looking at an event that has already happened.

Event Details

Amina Luqman-Dawson is the Newbery Medal and Coretta Scott King Award-winning and bestselling author of Freewater and the pictorial history book Images of America: African Americans of Petersburg. Her op-eds on race and popular culture have appeared in The Washington Post, The San Francisco Chronicle, and more.

Freewater is a historical middle-grade novel about two enslaved children’s escape from a plantation and the many ways they find freedom. It received universal acclaim upon release, racking up starred reviews from Kirkus, Publisher's Weekly, Booklist, and other publications. In 2023, Amina became the first woman to ever receive both the Newbery Medal, for best children's book, and Coretta Scott King Book Award, which recognizes an African American author of outstanding children's books. Both prizes are awarded by the American Library Association.

Amina loves using writing to tell stories and to build an understanding of race, culture and community. She has a BA in Political Science from Vassar College and a Master of Public Policy from UC Berkeley. Amina, her husband, and 14-year-old son, reside in Arlington, VA.

Please note: This AViD event has a special start time of 6:30 PM.

Amina Luqman-Dawson AViD Page >>>