On October 4, 2023, De Balie – in cooperation with Black Achievement Month and the John Adams Institute – is organizing a talk with critic and memoirist Margo Jefferson.

Since the 1970s, Margo Jefferson has commented on and interpreted contemporary American life. She has done so as a journalist, as a critic, as a privileged Black female writer. Now in her seventies, she uses her own past to understand the society that has shaped her. How do you make sense of what society believes you to be? And how do you make sense of what you yourself believe to be?

Rather than writing a straightforward memoir, Jefferson uses her newest book, Constructing a Nervous System to bring alive a cast of characters. These alter egos enable her to get to the heart of the American experience. Some of these voices are famous – like Ike Turner, Ella Fitzgerald, and Jay-Z. Others have been denied their place in our collective memory, like the Tennessee Tigerbelles, the all-female athletics team who won 23 medals in the 1960 Rome Olympics.

The talk will take place from 8:00 PM to 10:00 PM at Kleine-Gartmanplantsoen 10, Amsterdam.

For more information and tickets, click here.