UCHS Students to Discuss ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’

Enjoy the classics. That is exactly what students will do thanks to a generous donation of books from . 

Fifty copies of Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird and Ernest Gaines’ A Lesson before Dying were distributed to interested University City High School students as part of an effort to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the “coming of age” film To Kill a Mockingbird.

The public is welcome to join students discuss the classic tale at 7 p.m. on Sept. 11 in the auditorium.

Abigail Horne, Washington University’s postdoctoral fellow, will lead the discussion. Horne is an expert in 19th and 20th century American and African-American literature. Her area of focus includes lynching narratives, race relations and critical race theory.  

“We are excited to encourage our students to engage with the larger community and to put their discussion and analysis skills into practice in a public forum,” said Declan FitzPatrick, coordinator of communication arts and social studies for the . “The generous donation from Wash U. will allow them to add books to their personal libraries and share the books with others.”

After the discussion, the public is invited to continue the conversation at Movies in the Park, which will show the film for free at 8:15 p.m. on Sept. 15 at . 

The discussion and screening is possible thanks to a collaborative partnership between the School District of University City, Washington University and .