Join the Lewes Public Library, the ACLU of Delaware, CAMP Rehoboth, Delaware Sexuality & Gender Collective, Southern Delaware Alliance for Racial Justice, and Sussex Pride for a conversation with Robert Fieseler, author of American Scare: Florida's Hidden Cold War on Black and Queer Lives, the riveting story of how the Florida government destroyed the lives of Black and queer citizens in the twentieth century. Joining Robert in conversation is Ron Collins.

For nearly a decade, the Florida Legislature founded, funded, and supported the Johns Committee—an organization using the cover of communism to viciously attack members of the NAACP and queer professors and students. Spearheaded by Charley Johns, a multi-term politician in a gerrymandered legislature, the Committee was determined to eliminate any threats to the state’s white, conservative regime. Using a secret trove of primary source documents that have been decoded and de-censored for the first time in history, journalist Fiesler unravels what happened behind the closed doors of the Committee's inquisition. He describes the heartbreaking ramifications for citizens of Florida whose lives were imperiled and profiles marginalized residents with compassion and a determination to bring their devasting experiences to light at last.

Robert W. Fieseler is a journalist investigating marginalized groups and a scholar excavating forgotten histories. A National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association Journalist of the Year and recipient of the Pulitzer Traveling Fellowship, his debut book Tinderbox won seven awards, including the Edgar Award, and his reporting has appeared in Slate, Commonweal, and River Teeth, among others. Fieseler graduated co-valedictorian from the Columbia Journalism School and is pursuing a PhD at Tulane University as a Mellon Fellow. He lives with his husband in New Orleans.

Ron Collins is a retired law professor, co-founder of the History Book Festival, and the Lewes Public Library’s Distinguished Lecturer. His latest book is Tragedy on Trial: The Story of the Infamous Emmett Till Murder Trial.

This event is co-sponsored by the ACLU of Delaware, CAMP Rehoboth, Delaware Sexuality & Gender Collective, Southern Delaware Alliance for Racial Justice, and Sussex Pride.

We invite you to support the author by purchasing a copy of their book from Browseabout Books. Call-in orders are accepted at (302) 226-2665 or you can stop by the store to purchase a copy. For store hours, please visit their website. Each copy purchased comes signed. Books will be available for sale and for signing at the event.

NOTE: this session is available to attend in-person or through Zoom. You MUST REGISTER and indicate which you prefer.

If you have need assistance with registration or getting your Zoom invitation, please email the library.

Basic written instructions for using Zoom may be found here and a brief video tutorial may be found here. Closed captioning is available for all our sessions. Information on enabling closed captioning in Zoom may be found here.