An Evening of Readings Inspired by Tannie Stovall's Book Collection

On the evening of Saturday, April 20th, a lively group assembled at the home of Kathleen Dameron to listen to a series of short readings inspired by the book collection of Tannie Stovall. Kathleen is the guardian of what is now the Tannie Stovall Memorial Library, a collection of ~170 books that Tannie entrusted to Kathleen for safekeeping. His desire was that his books, including those that he authored, be the source of stimulating conversation and the instigators of lively debates on sociopolitical and cultural issues.

Kathleen and Cheryl Pegues co-organized the event and five people read that evening. Each explained why he or she thought the passage selected was appropriate for the event and then proceeded to recite it for the group.

Cheryl Pegues and Kathleen Dameron
© Discover Paris!
Ellen Kountz read from an essay called "Blacks Don't Read: They Are Still Our Slaves." It has become somewhat of an urban legend. Though its source is unknown, it is powerful food for thought.

Ellen showing a photo of Tannie and friends
© Discover Paris!
Curtis Robert Young reminisced about his hometown of Chicago and talked about his son, who worked for the Obama administration, before reading a passage about a community meeting at a church in Chicago from Obama's Dreams from My Father.

Curtis Robert Young
© Discover Paris!
Cheryl selected a passage from the first chapter of The Spook Who Sat by the Door, a novel by Sam Greenlee. The book is a favorite of her current beau and coincidentally is one that Tannie read and loaned to someone. Cheryl donated her copy to the library.

Cheryl standing before the audience
© Discover Paris!
Randy Garrett read from Tannie's last novel, Two Centuries in Two Weeks. He selected a passage that explains why Ralph, the African-American protagonist of the book, has decided to take his own life.

Randy Garrett
© Discover Paris!
Finally, Jake Lamar read from Chester Himes' The Quality of Hurt, fondly remembering how Tannie expressed disdain and disbelief when Jake admitted that he had not read any of Himes' work prior to coming to Paris.

Jake Lamar
© Discover Paris!
After the readings, a scrumptious Indian-Mauritanian buffet was served and the group danced and chatted for the duration of the evening.

Dancing
© Discover Paris!
The Tannie Stovall Memorial Library will eventually become a lending library.

The Library
© Discover Paris!
To learn more, contact Kathleen Dameron at .


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Tannie Stovall, Cheryl Pegues, Ellen Kountz, and Jake Lamar are all featured in the Discover Paris! publication Black Paris Profiles. Click here to learn more about the book.

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Black Paris Profiles™: Ellen Kountz

Ellen Kountz is one of the few African Americans in Paris whose professional life centered on finance and banking. She earned an undergraduate degree from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and an Executive MBA at ESSEC (Ecole Supérieure des Sciences Economiques et Sociales) in Paris (La Défense). She is also a vocal advocate of political engagement in the U.S. and an active member of the Minority Caucus of Democrats Abroad France. I introduced you to her a few weeks ago as the person who organized the first Black History Month event at the American Church in Paris. I am pleased to feature her in this month’s Black Paris Profile™.

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You’ve lived in Paris for over 20 years. What sparked your interest in living here?

I’ve had a lifelong curiosity about living overseas, which was sparked from the numerous international trips that my family was fortunate to take at the height of my father’s career in the 1970’s. This interest solidified when I went to summer camp in Crans Montana, Switzerland from the ages of 11 to 14. I was exposed to cosmopolitan polyglot teenagers from around the world and was acutely aware that being an American meant having a linguistic disadvantage. Somewhere in the back of my mind I decided to rectify this and go beyond what high school French classes could offer.

Ellen at the Pont Mirabeau
Photo credit: Franz Kennedy
Tell us how you came to settle here.

Ironically, I arrived in France after having avoided French classes for years. When I attended the Wharton School undergraduate program in 1988, there was no language requirement. I had put that interest on the back burner to focus on my best subjects – economics, statistics, and business. As a junior, I was informed that requirements had changed and that I needed a liberal arts credit to graduate. I freaked out!

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To get your copy of Black Paris Profiles™, click HERE.

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Black History Month 2012 at the American Church in Paris

On February 17, 2012, the American Church in Paris hosted a Black History Month event for the first time in its history: a presentation on African-American pioneers in science and technology by Ellen Kountz.

Ellen Kountz at 2012 Black History Month presentation
© Jean-Marc Cresson
Ellen is a 21-year resident of Paris. She selected the theme of African-American scientists for her talk in part because she wanted to honor the legacy of her father, Dr. Samuel L. Kountz, who excelled at performing kidney transplants. Dr. Kountz was instrumental in advancing the cause of organ donation and transportation in the United States.

Ellen presenting the biography of Dr. Samuel L. Kountz
© Jean-Marc Cresson
Beginning her presentation with a quiz, Ellen asked the audience to select the date (out of four possibilities) that Black History Month began and the person who was responsible for its inception. She then went on to present the biographies of several African Americans from antebellum times to the present that were notably accomplished in science or technology. Some of the persons featured were Benjamin Banneker, Madam C. J. Walker, Granville T. Woods, Mae Jemison, and Norma Merrick Sklarek. The insights and anecdotal information that she shared about each of her subjects were poignant, sometimes ironic, and always inspirational.

Senior Pastor Reverend Scott Herr attended the event and shared a story about an African-American geneticist who is currently a member of the congregation of the American Church. It served as a reminder that often, African Americans in the sciences are working quietly, without fanfare, and are making significant and far-reaching contributions to science and medicine.

As well as addressing the general public on Friday night, Ellen gave her presentation to the Youth Group and the African Fellowship at the American Church. Encouraged by the interest that other organizations have shown in the talk, she is making plans for presentations at the American Library in Paris and the American Library in Nancy during Black History Month in 2013.

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