Community Ink: Beverly Harris-Schenz

Enjoy an evening with local author, Beverly Harris-Schenz as she recounts her mother’s decision to leave her small town in southern Illinois to seek a better life in the nation’s wartime capital from her book, Mary Martin: Black Government Girl from Hillsboro. Her mother joined 100,000 Black Americans who went to Washington during the 40s, despite Jim Crow laws and segregation. Harris-Schenz will read excerpts from the book, including details about her mother‘s life and the challenges she faced, following her decision to move to Washington. She will then engage the audience in a discussion of the issues and the times described. 

After 38 years as a university professor and administrator (primarily at the University of Pittsburgh), in retirement Beverly Harris-Schenz has pursued a new interest in writing creative non-fiction. Three of her stories have appeared in “Voices from the Attic“ published by Carlow University. In 2023, her book “Living while Black: My Experience with Everyday Racism“ appeared. This book, a collection of vignettes describing events in her personal and professional life, spans more than 60 years. 

Her most recent book, Mary Martin: Black Government-Girl, published in January 2024, chronicles the early life of her mother. This book describes the life of an African American girl born in S. Illinois who aspires to a better life than can be realized in her hometown. So, she travels to Washington, DC. to join the 100,000 African Americans who came to the nation‘s wartime capital in the 1940‘s to pursue their dreams, despite the Jim Crow and segregation that they would encounter in this southern city.