07/09/2025
"Nearly 200 attendees filled the Enoch Pratt Free Library’s main hall June 30 to witness living history. Former U.S. Sen. Carol Moseley Braun—trailblazing politician, diplomat and author—held center stage to discuss her new memoir “Trailblazer,” in an intimate conversation moderated by Dr. Frances “Toni” Draper, publisher of The Afro-American Newspaper.
The event, hosted by the Pratt Library in Baltimore, was more than a book talk. It was a masterclass in resilience; an up-close reckoning with power, pain and purpose from the first Black woman elected to the U.S. Senate. Each guest received a copy of the book—and by the end of the discussion, many likely left feeling ready to devour it cover to cover the moment they got home.
“Trailblazer” chronicles an extraordinary life that reads like a roadmap of American “firsts.” Born on the South Side of Chicago, she rose from modest beginnings to become the first Black woman to serve in the U.S. Senate, the first woman to represent Illinois, and the first Black woman appointed U.S. ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa. But as Moseley Braun made clear throughout the evening, her story was shaped just as much by heartbreak as by historic wins."
Former U.S. Sen. Carol Moseley Braun discusses her new memoir 'Trailblazer' at the Enoch Pratt Free Library in Baltimore.
