Author Stephanie Land will join us for the first 2023 Grover Lecture on Wednesday, February 22. Her bestselling memoir  Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother’s Will to Survive(opens in a new window) recounts her harrowing saga as a single mom navigating the poverty trap. Her unflinching testimony exposes the physical, economic, and social brutality that domestic workers face, all while radiating a parent’s hope and dedication.

Land will join us virtually to share about her personal experience that inspired her memoir. Her memoir offers a unique and essential perspective from the frontlines of struggle, but the deeply personal, intimate details of her story paint a larger picture. The physical pain of her own poverty clarifies systemic class inequalities, dispelling the myth that poor people are responsible for their own predicament and just need to try harder. Instead, she reveals the real culprits of her situation: domestic violence, untenable minimum wages, high housing costs, and government assistance programs that fail the people they ostensibly serve. Her talk will be followed by a panel discussion with community experts and individuals with lived experience to discuss topics brought up in the memoir such as breaking the cycle of poverty, navigating systems for support, the challenges with accessing help and care, and more. There will be panels at both Walter Hall and a secondary viewing location at Athens High School(opens in a new window). The Athens County Libraries will also be hosting a community read along.

This lecture is being presented by the College of Health Sciences & Professions and the Athens County Libraries, in partnership with the Athens County Foundation, Athens HOPE, HAPCAP, My Sister’s Place, Stevens Literacy Center and the Survivor Advocacy Outreach Program.