Philadelphia, PA – During Black History Month, Newsweek’s Sana Butler will join the National Constitution Center for a conversation about her new book, Sugar of the Crop: My Journey to Find the Children of Slaves, an account of her ten year odyssey to find and interview the last surviving children of American slaves.  The program will take place on Monday, February 22, 2010 at 6:30 p.m.  Admission is free, but reservations are required by calling 215.409.6700.

In Sugar of the Crop, Butler details her unprecedented journey to reveal the hopes and dreams of the first generation of free African Americans.  Drawing on a decade of interviews, she reveals how African Americans emerged from slavery with a powerful drive to put the past behind them and a deep commitment to make the most of their opportunities.  Butler will discuss how freed slaves raised their children in the years following the Civil War, and their hopes and dreams for their children and the nation’s future.  

Sana Butler is a special correspondent for Newsweek International, where she writes human interest stories on travel, from gorilla trekking in Rwanda to opera vacations in Italy.  She previously worked at the Wall Street Journal, CNBC, and ABC World News Tonight with Peter Jennings, where she was an associate producer.  Sugar of the Crop is her first book.  Butler is a graduate of Georgetown University and Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.

A book sale and signing will follow the program, courtesy of Joseph Fox Bookshop.

The National Constitution Center, located at 525 Arch St. on Philadelphia’s Independence Mall, is an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing public understanding of the U.S. Constitution and the ideas and values it represents.  The Center serves as a museum, an education center, and a forum for debate on constitutional issues.  The museum dramatically tells the story of the Constitution from Revolutionary times to the present through more than 100 interactive, multimedia exhibits, film, photographs, text, sculpture and artifacts, and features a powerful, award-winning theatrical performance, “Freedom Rising”.  The Center also houses the Annenberg Center for Education and Outreach, which serves as the hub for national constitutional education. For more information, call 215.409.6700 or visit www.constitutioncenter.org. 

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