SPRINGFIELD, MA, March 24, 2023 – Four years after writing her bestselling autobiography, former First Lady Michelle Obama delivered a second memoir, “The Light We Carry.” The book empowers readers with an emphasis on “overcoming in uncertain times.” Like her autobiography “Becoming,” Obama’s new book sparked a national conversation, not only because of its timeliness in the uncertainty of the COVID-19 era, but also because of the authenticity with which Obama uses personal experiences to reach her wide audience.

That national conversation will become local when The Massachusetts Women of Color Coalition (MAWOCC) Western Region hosts a discussion about the book on Monday, March 27th at 5:30 p.m. at St. John’s Congregational Church, 45 Hancock Street. The evening promises to be thought provoking and empowering with contents of the book discussed and perspectives offered by a diverse panel of women who will share their stories of resiliency, challenges, and success. The event builds upon MAWOCC Western Region’s previous book discussion of Obama’s “Becoming,” which drew close to 100 women.

Panelists for the discussion of “The Light We Carry” will include Payton Shubrick, CEO, and founder of 6Bricks, a Springfield-based cannabis dispensary; Nikki Burnett, executive director of Educare Springfield; and Crystal Senter-Brown, author, and adjunct faculty at Bay Path University. The event is free and open to the public.