Many CBH Talks were recorded. To view, visit the Center for Brooklyn History Talks YouTube channel at bklynlib.org/CBH-Talks.
Past Events
CBH Talk | Terence Keel and Alex Vitale Discuss Death Records and Hiding Police Violence
Coroners’ reports are not innocuous. In his landmark study, scholar Terence Keel meticulously uncovers how death investigations can—and often do—obscure the violent circumstances of in-custody deaths. Now Keel has published his seminal research in a new book, The Coroner’s Silence; Death…
CBH Talk | The Gods of New York: Jonathan Mahler in Conversation with Bob Herbert
Jonathan Mahler’s new book, The Gods of New York: Egotists, Idealists, Opportunists, and the Birth of the Modern City: 1986–1990, is a sweeping chronicle of four tumultuous years that transformed New York—and foreshadowed the divisions that would soon define the nation.
In those years, the…
CBH Talk | Nameplates, Identity, and Adornment in Brooklyn
Nameplate jewelry has long served as a bold statement of identity, style, and self-definition. From scripted pendants to doorknocker earrings, bejeweled rings, belts, and bracelets wrought in gold, silver, or acrylic, nameplates speak volumes about individuality and belonging.
Join us…
CBH Talk | Ed Larson Discusses “Declaring Independence: Why 1776 Matters”
As we approach the 250th anniversary of American independence, join Pulitzer Prize–winning historian Edward Larson for a discussion of his timely and resonant new book, Declaring Independence: Why 1776 Matters. Larson takes us through the ideals, debates, and sacrifices that defined that pivotal…
NYC History Day: Center for Brooklyn History Student Archive Visit, Starting your Research
Join the NYC History Day Team for a visit to the Center for Brooklyn History's Othmer Library. Attendees will explore our collections, learn how to research in an archive, and get tips on how to use archival research in History Day projects. We will discuss the many kinds of questions…
Center for Brooklyn History Open House for College and University Faculty and Students
College and university students and faculty are invited to join us at the Center for Brooklyn History, at the Brooklyn Public Library, for an open house event on Thursday, November 6th from 6:00pm to 7:30pm.
Come mix and mingle with other students and faculty interested in researching…
CBH Talk | Ray Madoff and Avery Trufelman Discuss “The Second Estate”
No political force has shaped American life more profoundly—yet remained more impenetrable—than the 7,000-page U.S. tax code. We all sense the system is unfair, but few truly understand how. In The Second Estate: How the Tax Code Made an American Aristocracy, legal scholar Ray Madoff reveals how…
CBH Family Program: Brooklyn Stories & Art with Author-Illustrator Selina Alko
Award-winning author-illustrator Selina Alko brings her vibrant celebration of urban culture to life in this interactive program.Participants will learn about Selina's creative journey, enjoy a reading of her beloved picture book "B Is for Brooklyn," and participate in a Q&A session.…
CBH Talk | Tourmaline and Hugh Ryan Discuss “Marsha: The Joy and Defiance of Marsha P. Johnson”
Join Black transgender luminary Tourmaline for a conversation about her definitive biography of the revolutionary activist Marsha P. Johnson. Moderated by Hugh Ryan.
Rumor has it that after Marsha P. Johnson threw the first brick in the 1969 Stonewall Uprising, she picked up a shard of…
NYC History Day: Choosing a Topic Student Workshop
In this virtual workshop we will consider how to choose a topic for this year's History Day theme, "Revolution, Reaction, Reform in History." Students will gain a better understanding of the 2026 theme as well as strategies to brainstorm a topic for their own History Day project. Come ready with…
CBH Talk | Stolen Relations: Recovering the History of Native American Enslavement
The Stolen Relations project is a tribally collaborative initiative to recover, interpret, and share with the public the long-hidden history of Native American enslavement. Developed over the past decade and formally launched in May 2025 (www.stolenrelations.org), the project brings together a…
CBH Family Program: Brooklyn Stories & Art with Author-Illustrator Nat Cardozo
Join author-illustrator Nat Cardozo for a special storytime reading of Origin: An illuminating look at Indigenous peoples and their connection to the natural world!Embark on a journey across continents as Nat shares stunning portraits and stories of Indigenous children and their…
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