‘Underground Railroad’ Author Colson Whitehead To Speak At Goodwin

To commemorate the 40th anniversary of the broadcast of Alex Haley’s miniseries “Roots,” Goodwin College will host a conference, “Roots at 40: Reflections and Remembrances,” on Oct. 6 from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The keynote speaker is Colson Whitehead, author of “The Underground Railroad,” the winner of the 2017 Pulitzer Price in fiction. The speech begins at 1 p.m.

Admission to the keynote only is $25. Admission to the whole day for students other than Goodwin students is $75. General admission, bought in advance until Oct. 5, is $100. On-site admission is $150. Admission to all events is free for Goodwin students, faculty, staff and board members. goodwin.edu/roots.

In another “Roots”-related event, local arts-and-activism collective Cuatro Puntos is presenting a four-part musical celebration featuring compositions by 20th century composers of color. Brittney Yancy, the content coordinator for the Alex Haley Collection at Goodwin College, will narrate during the musical performances, connecting the music and the lives of the composers to the plot line of the show.

The first program is Oct. 4, at 11:30 a.m. in the community room at Goodwin College. The second is Oct. 26 at 7 p.m. at Christ Church Cathedral, 45 Church St. in Hartford. The third is on Oct. 27 at 7:30 p.m. at Lutheran Church of St. Mark, 75 Griswold St. in Glastonbury. The fourth, on Jan. 14, is at New Britain Museum of American Art.

The compositions are Hamza el Din’s Escalay for String Quartet and percussion; Obo Addy’s Wawshishijay for string quartet, percussion, and voice; Florence Price’s Five Folksongs in Counterpoint; and George Walker’s String Quartet No. 1.

Goodwin College is at 1 Riverside Drive in East Hartford.

Admission to all musical shows is free except the last, which is free with museum admission. cuatropuntos.org/roots.html.