Elizabeth Dowling Taylor's remarkable book,The Original Black Elite: Daniel Murray and the Story of a Forgotten Era documents the life of Daniel Murray, a successful black civic leader and assistant librarian at the Library of Congress, the book demonstrates the opportunities offered by Reconstruction for Murray to establish a resilient, influential black community in Washington and the subsequent decline of this community as a result of systemic racism. Dowling Taylor joins Dr. Kim Long, Executive Director of the Lowcountry Rice Project and Board member of the Festival, in conversation.