Maggie Tokuda-Hall visits the Central Library for the Clara Breed Civil Liberties Lecture.
Now in its 5th year, the Clara Breed Civil Liberties Lecture honors Miss Breed’s triple legacy of service, decency and advocacy on behalf of Japanese Americans wrongly imprisoned by the federal government during World War II. Young library patrons, who were incarcerated in “internment camps” throughout the United States, exchanged letters, packages and books with Miss Breed. These exchanges provided significant lifelines and consolation for the several thousand San Diego residents of Japanese descent who were incarcerated across the United States.
In 2021, the San Diego Public Library reflected on Japanese American experiences during and after World War II by exploring themes of social justice, activism and the power of the written word. SDPL hosted a series of programs and events to raise awareness and encourage discussion of historical and contemporary issues faced by marginalized voices, especially within the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community, and the annual Clara Breed Civil Liberties Lecture began.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Maggie Tokuda-Hall is the author of numerous award winning, best-selling children’s and young adult books. She has been called “…one of the most unflinching voices in contemporary genre literature.” She reached national attention when she publicly refused to accept a licensing offer for her book, Love in the Library, from Scholastic, who demanded a series of edits to her author’s note that whitewashed the history of Japanese American incarceration during WWII. Her books for children and young adults are celebrated works of art, and her conviction is a testament to the power of authors, libraries and literature to impact our shared future.
