Noted author Dr. Afua Cooper to speak at Parks Middle School

The visit by Parks Middle School students and faculty to Canada is the gift that keeps on giving. The school will welcome author, educator and poet Dr. Afua Cooper (right), who will visit on Sept. 14. Dr. Cooper will appear at visual-arts classroom from 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Cooper is a noted historian and is the author of such works as The Hanging of Angelique: The Untold Story of Canadian Slavery and the Burning of Old Montreal.

Parks Middle students learned of the author while preparing for a trip to Canada this past summer as part of a $20,000 grant secured by teacher Jocelyn Johnson, who used the grant (issued by SMART Technology) to improve reading skills. By reading Cooper’s works, Johnson said, “students are gaining insight into a time period that they have slight knowledge of. The author’s influence is great because she provides the facts and details on a period of time that helped shape the lives of African Americans.”

Cooper’s visit is being sponsored by the Canadian Consulate General and the Auburn Avenue Research Library. She will also visit Emory University.