Meet the Author: Mat Johnson on "The Great Negro Plot: An Urban Historical" March 1, 2007

In 1741, New York City was thrown into an uproar when a sixteen-year-old Mary Burton, a white indentured servant, testified that she was privy to a conspiracy against the white people of Manhattan. Authorities promised her freedom if she would uncover the plot. Mary reported that the black men of the city were planning to burn New York City to the ground. As the courts ensnared suspects and violence swept the city, 154 black New Yorkers were jailed, 14 were burned alive, 18 were hanged and more than 100 simply disappeared. Four whites wound up being executed and 24 imprisoned. Even as the madness escalated, however, officials started to realize that Mary Burton might not be telling the truth. The Great Negro Plot is a brilliant reconstruction of a little-known moment in American history that reverberates today. Expertly written by the acclaimed author of Drop and Hunting in Harlem, Mat Johnson currently teaches at Bard College.

Sponsored by the Prince George's County Memorial Library System. This event is free and open to the public.

Official Website: http://www.pgcmls.info