MMUF PhD Erica Dunbar Launches New Publishing Program with Simon & Schuster

MMUF PhD Erica Armstrong Dunbar has launched a multiple-book publishing program with Simon & Schuster to produce seven books for adults and children. Dr. Dunbar, a full professor of history at Rutgers University, is the author of three previous nonfiction books; her 2017 account of the escape to freedom of one of George Washington's slaves, Never Caught: The Washington's Relentless Pursuite of Their Runaway Slave Ona Judge, was a finalist for the National Book Award in nonfiction. Dr. Dunbar has already published an edition of Never Caught for young readers, and will produce a picture-book edition of the book as part of the new program.

The consistent focus of Dunbar's scholarship on Black women's stories and achievements will continue in the new publishing program, including her next work for adults - A Spy for Richmond, anticipated for February 2024. The book will tell the story of former slave Mary Richards and her work as a spy for the Union Army in the home of Confederate President Jefferson Davis. "I am thrilled...to present new American narratives that center Black women, for readers of every age. Stories of triumph and tragedy resonate with adults and children alike, and I can think of no better time than the present to place this powerful history in its rightful place at the front of our nation's memory." Congratulations, Dr. Dunbar!