Shana Burg

As you know I’ve spoken and written quite a bit about my own family’s history in the Civil Rights Movement. I was born in Birmingham, Alabama where my father, Harvey Burg, was working as a lawyer fighting for civil rights .

Well – this weekend I’m going back to where I come from. Commemorating the 50^th Anniversary of the Birmingham Civil Rights Movement, the Birmingham Bar Foundation is honoring my wonderful father and other members of Birmingham’s legal community for their extraordinary work during the Civil Rights Movement at the Journey for Justice Gala. There is also a documentary film, Preserving Justice about the role lawyers and the legal system played in the fight to end racial inequality in Birmingham and the nation, which will be debuted at the event. It was created to educate the public about the role lawyers and the legal system played in the fight to end racial inequality. I wouldn’t miss it for the world!

Over the years my father has gone on an incredible journey, starting out as a progressive activist, and now being recognized as a pillar of society by a pretty important and powerful group. But consider this: in that time my father didn’t change a bit. What changed was American society, and its perception of him and the work he did.

It’s important to acknowledge those close to him who gave him support and courage, including my late grandparents, Sylvia and Saul Burg, and especially my mother. Sondy. She was willing to accompany him to a faraway place to do dangerous work in the name of taking a stand for justice. And that’s why I come from Alabama, not only with a Banjo on my knee, but also with a legacy of preserving justice.

Learning Ally strives to be a friend to people who learn differently, by recording books. “We’ve grown to beyond the blind community, to individuals with learning disabilities like dyslexia, and anyone with a physical disability that prevents them from holding a textbook,” said Senior Communications Associate Jenny Falke.

Jenny told me there are already 75,000 titles in the collection. And did you know that studies have shown that audio learning can improve a student’s reading comprehension, increase reading motivation, and improve self confidence?

I was thrilled when Jenny invited me to be part of the Record-A-Thon that is held at all eleven Learning Ally studios around the nation. I got to go into the audio booth here in Austin and record the first chapters of Laugh with the Moon.

It was strange to be reading my own book aloud, and I couldn’t help editing it in my head as I went along. It was also amazing to know that by doing this, I was joining forces with an incredible organization on a very important mission.