The Ancestors and Me: A Book Reading and Conversation About Belonging

April 5th @ 7PM

Talitha Moniz McMillion will be doing a reading of their children’s book The Ancestors and Me (not yet published) and sharing sketches drawn by Jime Servin, who is the book’s illustrator. Talitha and Jime are both of the Charrúa Nation whose land is currently split by Brazil and Uruguay. They will speak about their writing and artistic process for creating the book as well as their experiences with the feeling of belonging in their communities under colonial institutions and how it relates to the book’s theme. Having grown up in the United States with Native Brazilian roots, Talitha knows what it’s like to struggle to hold onto to their culture. They hope that this book will remind children, as well as anyone who needs to hear it, that no matter where you are in the world, the love and wisdom of your ancestors will always be there to guide you.

Talitha Morena Moniz McMillion is a LatIndigenous storyteller, filmmaker, dedicated activist, and, currently, UNC undergrad student. Before coming to UNC, Talitha got an Associate of Arts at Central Piedmont Community College and was working with various groups and organizations over the course of 4 years, including Greenpeace, NC WARN, Charlotte Animal Activists, and an underground migrant assistance coalition for Latin American refugees. In 2019 they were a part of a political delegation to Colombia organized by AfroResistance to build international, working-class solidarity with Afro and Indigenous Colombians. Now majoring in Dramatic Art and Creative Writing and minoring in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics, Talitha is passionate about continuing to explore the intersectionality of these subjects and how, together, they can cultivate liberation and justice