Celebrate the resilience of the African American spirit in this intimate book reading and talk back presentation by Olympic athlete Melvin Pender. The conversation will be moderated by veteran broadcaster, Joe Washington.

About Melvin Pender

Mel Pender is an Olympic gold medalist in the 4×100 relay races of the 1968 Olympics. He discovered his athletic gift during his time serving the U.S. army in Okinawa with the 82nd Airborne Division at the age of 25. During his career he broke multiple world records and is now found in several Hall of Fames.