Cori Bush’s memoir, The Forerunner, is an inspiring personal account of her journey from nurse, pastor, and community organizer to the halls of Congress. She shares her story as a minimum wage worker, a survivor of domestic and sexual violence, and an unhoused parent. She hadn’t intended to run for political office, but her experiences on the front lines of the Ferguson Uprising changed her course.
Left Bank Books is St. Louis’s oldest and largest independent bookstore now in its 53rd year. We strive for literacy and justice for all, curating an intelligent, relevant, and culturally diverse selection of books, cards, and gifts selected to spark meaningful public conversation.
This event is made possible in part through the support of our nonprofit arm, The Left Bank Books Foundation, and with the support of you, the community, through your purchase of our guest authors’ books.
This event requires proof of COVID-19 vaccination and masks. All attendees are required to wear a mask throughout the event and bring proof of vaccination with a valid ID for entry to Touhill Performing Arts Center on October 6, 2022.
Additional copies of The Forerunner will be available for purchase in the lobby before and after the presentation.
Tracie Berry-McGhee, M.Ed. (Divine Tea) and Yolonda Lankford (Lady YO) are the executive producers and hosts of the Own Your Now Show, a daytime talk show focusing on wellness, opportunity, knowledge, and empowerment, which airs on the AH TV Network, Roku, Apple, and Fire TV.
A native of St. Louis, MO, Tracie Berry-McGhee is a licensed therapist, author, mentor and national motivational speaker for women & teen girls. Founder of SistaKeeper Empowerment Center/The I Define Me Movement, she is known as an EmpowerNista. As a social entrepreneur, she travels the country speaking about restorative justice for girls, relational aggression, SEL, self-awareness, body image, anti-bullying, literacy, celebrating sisterhood and advocating for mental health awareness and women issues. She is an NAACP Community Hero 46th Image Award winner, and a member of the American Counseling Association, the Alliance of Black Mental Health Professionals, STL Black Authors of Children’s Literature ,and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc., Saint Louis Metropolitan Alumnae Chapter. She is also a Non-Violence Ambassador for the King Center, a wife of 25 years, a mother of three, and a grandmother. Tracie’s motto is, “When God tells you to walk, run like the wind for you are guaranteed to fly.”
Yolonda Lankford’s formative years were spent on a working dairy farm in Oakdale, California. Thereafter, she struck out on her educational journey and received a bachelor’s degree of Public Administration from Grambling State University. Twnety-eight years ago, she decided to make St. Louis her home. She uses her gifts to uplift girls and women in the St. Louis community through various initiatives. She is an inspirational leader with a powerful presence and infectious personality. Yolonda has received various awards including an Oprah Winfrey Angel Award and the National Council of Negro Women Legacy Award, and was voted one of St. Louis’s Most Magnetic Personalities by St. Louis Magazine. Currently, she proudly wears two professional hats, as the co-host of the Own Your Now Show, and as the Public Relations Director of SistaKeeper, a nonprofit organization that is designed to help girls achieve healthy self-esteem, a sense of sisterhood, and community awareness. She enjoys the fact that she is making an impact on the world one girl at a time. Yolonda’s motto is, “It is never too late to BECOME who you were CREATED to be!”
Dr. Love Holt was born and raised in Berkeley, a city in North County St. Louis. Shortly after leaving an abusive marriage, being abandoned by her parents, and losing her friends, she discovered her passion for helping others find healing. In 2013, she moved to Charlotte, NC, and started a womb healing circle after working to heal from a cervical cancer diagnosis. She went on to accumulate several certifications in herbalism, biology, anatomy, and trauma healing. These certifications lead her to develop several workshops and a product line for feminine care. After five years, she returned to St. Louis, determined to expose her community to these ancient methods of healing. She started a chapter of The Sacred Seat healing circle and began working to complete a doctorate degree at the Divine Science Federation. After receiving a doctorate in Divinity, Holt started her own spiritual practice called Quintessence and began working as a Community Health Worker. She has developed two CDC-supported initiatives, Black Woman: Healed, and The Brown Girls Brunch. She currently works as an organizer and storyteller for Pro Choice Missouri as of October 2021, and it has been a dream come true.
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