Panel: Living Free

Three Bay Area authors discuss their research into family history, the stories they found and, in honor of Juneteenth, how writing for them is a freedom practice. Through works that span essential chapters of American history — including a grandfather credited with writing the first fugitive slave narrative in the United States, a grandmother who served as W.E.B. Du Bois’s secretary and collaborator for over four decades, and the reflections of a World War II veteran in the San Joaquin Valley — we examine the evolving meaning of freedom for African Americans in America. Featuring authors Regina E. Mason, Karen Felecia Nance, and Billie Hanson Dupree.

Regina Mason is a public historian whose work shows how personal discovery reshapes national memory. Her 30-year quest to recover the literary work of her ancestor, William Grimes, led to a new Oxford University Press edition of his book Life of William Grimes, the Runaway Slave (1825), which she co-edited, and the acclaimed film Gina’s Journey, the Search for William Grimes.

Karen Felecia Nance is an attorney, mediator, and author preserving the legacy of her grandmother, civil rights leader Ethel Ray Nance. She has written five books spanning memoir, biography, history, and a children’s story on tracing ancestry through a 1919 journal. She stewards a family archive and hosts a podcast on history, justice, and identity.

Billie Hanson-Dupree’s debut novel, Still Kickin’ is set in the San Joaquin Valley of California where she was born and raised. She is currently completing her second novel Some Greens for my Blues set in post-WWII Oakland, California. A retired educator and literacy coach, Billie calls writing her ‘retirement vocation.’ Billie enjoys family, attending blues and jazz concerts, and traveling. 

Connect: 

Regina E. Mason Website | Regina Mason Facebook
Billie Hanson-Dupree Website 
Karen Felicia Nance Website | Karen Felicia Nance Instagram | Karen Felicia Nance Podcast