My Name Is Not Tom – The Life of the Reverend Josiah Henson: Book Talk

On Feb. 21st, the Silver Spring Town Center presented MPI Board Member, historian and author Susan Cooke Soderberg, who discussed her latest book. The title of her book comes from a speech given by Reverend Henson toward the end of his life when he was trying to dispel the myth that he was “the real Uncle Tom” as his publishers had portrayed him in order to advertise his autobiographies – books which were also greatly embellished in order to increase sales.

Susan spent over 10 years researching her book. As well as tapping into archives online, she traveled to Kentucky, Ohio, New York, and Ontario, Canada tracing the footsteps of Reverend Henson, visiting libraries and museums along the way. The result is a book that contains copious new information about the man, his life, experiences, his values and his aspirations and reveals a far different person than that depicted in other biographies.

She concluded her talk with Q&A and book signing with the packed and appreciative audience at the Silver Spring B&O Station.

For more information about purchasing her book, contact Susan at susancs709@comcast.net.

Photo credit: Daniel Rappaport