Through poetry, history, lived experience, and guided conversation, Charles Ellis uses “Bush Arbor” as a doorway into deeper discussions about Black history, memory, faith, family, survival, identity, resilience, and the stories that have often been carried through generations without being fully documented.
This presentation is designed to move beyond dates and names alone. It uses literature as a starting point for examining how history is remembered, how culture is preserved, how personal stories connect to larger historical experiences, and why understanding the past remains important today.
Presentation May Include
- Reading and exploration of selected portions of “Bush Arbor”
- Historical context connected to the themes within the work
- Discussion of Black family, community, memory, survival, and cultural preservation
- Charles Ellis’s lived-experience perspective
- Guided audience discussion and reflection
- Question-and-answer session
Suitable Audiences
Colleges and universities, schools, libraries, churches, community organizations, rehabilitation and reentry programs, cultural organizations, Black History Month programs, and professional development settings.
Available Formats
90-minute, 120-minute, 3-hour, full-day, and up to a 1-week intensive.
Book a Black History Presentation
A more comprehensive standalone Black History curriculum based on the Charles Ellis Lived Experience Curriculum is currently being developed, with “Bush Arbor” serving as a leading anchor text.
