IN-PERSON & VIRTUAL Joy Goddess at CUNY Graduate Center in NY 9/9
2025-09-09 20:00 UTC | Graduate Center at CUNY, 365 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, United States
This event is virtual on YouTube and in-person at the Segal Theatre at CUNY’s Graduate Center! So you have options! I hope you’ll join award-winning biographer Eric K. Washington and me for a deep dive into the people, places and events of the Harlem Renaissance as we talk about my new book, Joy Goddess: A’Lelia Walker and the Harlem Renaissance. It’s always fun to talk with Eric because my research and his research for his book, Boss of the Grips: The Life of James H. Williams and the Red Caps of Grand Central Terminal have so many intersections and common themes.
Register at https://bit.ly/4gjgf7j
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Joy Goddess at the National Archives - Washington, DC (video link included)
2025-09-15 19:00 - 20:30 | National Archives, 701 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC, 20408, United States
To watch the video of the program click here
Join author, journalist, and historian A’Lelia Bundles as she discusses her latest book, Joy Goddess: A’Lelia Walker and the Harlem Renaissance, with PBS NewsHour co-anchor Geoff Bennett.
Dubbed the “joy goddess of Harlem’s 1920s” by poet Langston Hughes, A’Lelia Walker, daughter of millionaire haircare entrepreneur Madam C.J. Walker, is a fascinating figure whose legendary parties and Dark Tower salon helped define the Harlem Renaissance. Bundles, Walker’s great-granddaughter and namesake, explores her business savvy and love for the arts in a new biography, leveraging extensive archival research to reveal Walker as a central changemaker in the Harlem Renaissance movement.
Following the program, guests are invited to join us for champagne, dessert, and a book signing with A’Lelia Bundles from 8:00 p.m. – 8:45 p.m. EDT.
This program is made possible in part by the National Archives Foundation through the Rightfully Hers Fund.

Dark Tower Day Party - March On! Fest in Washington, DC
2025-09-21 13:00 - 15:00 | The Auto Shop, 416 Morse Street NE, Washington, WA, 20012, United States
Step into the glittering world of the Harlem Renaissance, where art, politics, and pleasure converged in a swirl of brilliance and defiance. Inspired by the legendary gatherings at A’Lelia Walker’s Dark Tower salon—the top floor of her Harlem townhouse on 136th Street—this closing celebration channels the glamour, intellect, and audacity of an era that redefined Black creativity. The Dark Tower was the gathering space for the luminaries of the day—artists, writers, musicians, poets, their patrons, and friends from Walker’s travels abroad.
Poetry drifts through the crowd, an aerialist twists gracefully overhead, and the rhythms shift through an intellectual and emotional journey on the history of Black music—from the swing of the 1920s to the grooves of funk, the pulse of hip hop, and the global beat of Afro Beats. A spirited conversation between A’Lelia Bundles, granddaughter of the original “Joy Goddess,” and March On! Artistic Director Isisara Bey will bring to life the stories, style, and cultural impact of Walker’s famed salon, connecting its legacy to the artistry and activism of today.
Thought-provoking dialogue intertwines with artistry, as reflections on legacy mingle seamlessly with the thrill of the moment. Laughter mingles with the clink of glasses, rich flavors tempt your palate, and a table of carefully curated books invites you to take a piece of the experience home.
More than a party, it’s a living tribute to a cultural awakening—an afternoon to be inspired, to connect, and to carry the spark forward.
Special Guests:
A’Lelia Bundles, author of Joy Goddess: A’Lelia Walker and the Harlem Renaissance, the vibrant biography of her great-grandmother and daughter of Madam C.J. Walker.
Dr. Msia Kibona Clark, Associate Professor of African Studies, College of Arts & Sciences, Howard University
Chi Akano, aerialist
Soundscape by Vessel Studios
DJ R WE ON THE AIR?!
Isisara Bey, Artistic Director, March On!
Howard University Alumni Actors
Bookstore Activation by Mahogany Books
Doors open: 12:45pm
Event starts: 1:00pm
AutoShop
416 Morse St NE, Washington, DC, 20002
September 21, 2025, 1:00 – 3:00 PM EDT

VIRTUAL Humanities Arkansas
2025-09-23 19:00 - 20:00
A’Lelia speaks with Jillian Hartley about Madam C. J. Walker and A’Lelia Walker.

NGAAP/The Soul of Philanthropy 10th Anniversary - Charlotte, NC
2025-09-25 17:30 - 20:30 | Wray Ward, 2317 Thrift Road, Charlotte, North Carolina, 28208, United States
God Given: The HeART & Soul of Black Philanthropy
“Any form of art is a form of power; it has impact, it can affect change – it can not only move us, it makes us move.” — Ossie Davis, Actor, Playwright, and Civil Rights Advocate
A look at Black creativity and cultural expression, specifically how Black artists and art patrons—past, present and future—give back, using their gifts and resources to foster shared visions, resiliency, and novel solutions in response to community and global issues.
In the spirit of Sankofa, this program, presented in conjunction with The Soul of Philanthropy • CLT Homecoming exhibition, will: Look back with A’Lelia Bundles, author of the newly released book Joy Goddess: A’Lelia Walker and the Harlem Renaissance; Examine contemporary times over the past two decades with community-rooted artists from the God City Collective; and Look forward by building upon lessons from the past to shape a future that brings greater visibility, investments and influence for social impact.
• A complimentry copy of Joy Goddess will be provided to attendees.
• Preceding the program will be a social reception with food and beverages.
• Following the program will be a book signing with A’Lelia Bundles and participating artists.

A Dark Tower Harlem Renaissance Afternoon with The Tenth Salon - Atlanta
2025-09-28 13:00 - 15:00 | Hammonds House Museum, 503 Peeples Street SW, Atlanta, 30310
The Tenth Anniversary Soirée + Book Talk with Author A’Lelia Bundles & Dr. Karida Brown on Joy Goddess
In honor of the Tenth’s first anniversary, they are hosting a special evening with A’Lelia Bundles, who’ll be in conversation with Karida Brown about her stunning new biography Joy Goddess: A’Lelia Walker and the Harlem Renaissance. Bundles brings her great-grandmother—and Harlem’s legendary “Joy Goddess”—to life with grace, revealing the salons, soirées, and creative salons that helped define a cultural era.
Copies of Joy Goddess will be available for purchase, and guests will have the opportunity to get it personally signed.
This event is open to members + their guest.

Six Bridges Book Festival - Little Rock, Arkansas
2025-10-04 10:00 - 11:00 | Ron Robinson Theater at Central Arkansas Library System, 100 River Market Avenue, Little Rock, AR, 72201, United States
Click here to listen to A’Lelia’s conversation with Juanita Tolliver and Jessica McDaniels.
PRESENTERS: A’Lelia Bundles & Juanita Tolliver
BOOKS: Joy Goddess: A’Lelia Walker and the Harlem Renaissance & A More Perfect Party: The Night Shirley Chisholm and Diahann Carroll Reshaped Politics

Moderator: Jessica McDaniels
About the authors:
A’Lelia Bundles is the author of Joy Goddess: A’Lelia Walker and the Harlem Renaissance, the first major biography of her great-grandmother, and of On Her Own Ground: The Life and Times of Madam C. J. Walker, a New York Times Notable Book about her entrepreneurial great-great-grandmother. Bundles is a former ABC News executive, an Emmy-winning NBC News producer, founder of the Madam Walker Family Archives, and a member of several nonprofit boards including Harvard’s Schlesinger Library.
Juanita Tolliver is an MSNBC political analyst, an opinion contributor for TheGrio, and a contributor for SiriusXM Progress. Previously, she served as the director of campaigns at the Center for American Progress. She is a graduate of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
About the books:
Joy Goddess: A’Lelia Walker and the Harlem Renaissance is a vibrant, nuanced, deeply researched biography of a woman whose glamorous soirees helped define uptown New York’s cultural and social scene during the 1920s. Best known as the only child of hair care entrepreneur Madam C. J. Walker, she was an internationally famous heiress and arts patron in her own right, who entertained the era’s most famous artists, writers, musicians and actors at her Dark Tower salon.
A More Perfect Party: The Night Shirley Chisholm and Diahann Carroll Reshaped Politics spotlights the legendary party hosted by legendary actress and singer Diahann Carroll for New York Representative Shirley Chisholm’s 1972 presidential campaign (the first such campaign for a Black woman), which changed the playing field for Black women in politics. Zooming in on one party attendee per chapter, A More Perfect Party brings this whimsical event out of the margins of history to demonstrate that there is an opportunity for all of us to fight for a better nation and return power to the people.
Sponsored by ESSE Purse Museum & Store with additional support from the CALS Distinguished Lecture Fund in honor of Betsey Wright

AGE GROUP: | Teens ages 12-19 | Adults |

Harvard Club of Washington, DC - A'Lelia Bundles & Dolen Perkins-Valdez in Conversation
2025-10-07 19:00 - 20:30 | Hogan Lovells, 555 13th Street NW, Washington, DC, 20004, United States
REGISTER HERE https://bit.ly/4pMRh4n

Capital City Links Tea - Washington, DC
2025-10-11 11:00 - 14:00 | Omni Shoreham Hotel, 2400 Calvert Street NW, Washington, DC, United States

University Club of DC Joy Goddess Book Talk
2025-10-14 18:00 - 20:00 | University Club of Washington, DC, 1135 16th Street NW, Washington, DC, United States
A’Lelia will join members of the University Club of Washington, DC for a talk about her book, Joy Goddess: A’Lelia Walker and the Harlem Renaissance.

GANYC Guides Association of NYC
2025-10-21 18:00 - 20:00
A’Lelia will conduct a virtual tour of A’Lelia Walker’s favorite Harlem addresses for the Guides Association of NYC

A'Lelia Bundles in conversation with Tina Knowles - Indiana Conference for Women
2025-10-23 12:00 - 13:00 | JW Marriott Indianapolis, 10 S. West Street, Indianapolis, IN, United States
A’Lelia will be in conversation with Tina Knowles about her book Matriarch: A Memoir at the ICFW lunchtime keynote program.

Woodlawn Cemetery Legacy Lecture - A'Lelia Walker's Harlem Renaissance Friends at Woodlawn
2025-10-26 14:00 - 16:00 | Woodlawn Cemetery, Jerome Ave & Bainbridge Ave, Bronx, NY, United States
Join for the Woodlawn Cemetery and Conservancy’s Fall Legacy Lecture featuring A’Lelia Bundles in Conversation with Eric K. Washington.
During the 1920s, A’Lelia Walker was an internationally famous heiress as comfortable at the opera in Paris as she was at the annual Howard-Lincoln football classic. A century later, she is best known as the only child of hair care entrepreneur and millionaire, Madam C.J. Walker. But during the Harlem Renaissance, she was a celebrity whose glamorous soirees were so memorable that poet Langston Hughes dubbed her “the joy goddess of Harlem’s 1920s.”
Now based on extensive research and Walker’s personal correspondence, her award-winning journalis great-granddaughter creates a nuanced portrait of a charismatic woman whose radiant personality, impresario instincts, and international travels are brought to vivid and unforgettable life.
The event will be held in the Woolworth Chapel at the Woodlawn Cemetery. Tickets are $25 Adults/$20 for students, seniors and members. Parking is available on-site.
Register at http://bit.ly/4pYQoWx

VIRTUAL - The Frick
2025-10-29 12:00 - 13:00 | The Frick, 1 East 70th Street, New York, NY, United States
Register at https://bit.ly/4h0DhzS

NEW DATE! Dark Tower Harlem Renaissance Tour & Salon -- Harlem MUSE
2025-11-01 11:00 - 15:00 | MUSE, 66 Edgecombe Avenue, New York, NY, 10030, United States
NEW DATE! Because of heavy rain predicted for Sunday, October 12, we are moving the Dark Tower/Harlem MUSE event to Saturday, November 1. Updated details to come soon!
We’ll start the morning with coffee and croissants at Kimberly Waters’s MUSE at 66 Edgecombe Avenue just steps from A’Lelia Walker’s 80 Edgecombe Avenue, where A’Lelia Walker lived from 1924 until 1931.
Then we’ll travel on a tour guided by While We’re Still Here to sites related to A’Lelia Walker’s Harlem Renaissance life.
We’ll return to MUSE for a Dark Tower-inspired salon.

National Center for Civil & Human Rights in Atlanta
2025-11-09 15:00 - 16:30 | National Center for Civil and Human Rights, 100 Ivan Allen Jr. Blvd, Atlanta, GA, 30313, United States
A live conversation with author A’Lelia Bundles about her new book | Re-Opening Weekend
Celebrate the return of the National Center for Civil and Human Rights with Cup of Truth, featuring journalist and author A’Lelia Bundles in conversation about her new book Joy Goddess: A’Lelia Walker and the Harlem Renaissance.
Bundles brings to life her great-grandmother A’Lelia Walker — daughter of Madam C. J. Walker and a dazzling force of the 1920s Harlem Renaissance. Dubbed the “joy goddess of Harlem” by Langston Hughes, Walker inherited her mother’s empire and transformed it into a cultural salon for legends like Zora Neale Hurston, Paul Robeson, and W. E. B. Du Bois.
This is more than a biography. It’s a story of joy as resistance, legacy as power, and one woman’s quest to define herself on her own terms.
Included with museum admission. Held in the Center café.
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Joy Goddess at Woodson Regional Library in Chicago
2025-11-13 17:00 - 19:30 | Vivian Harsh Collection at Woodson Regional Library, 9525 S. Halsted Street, Chicago, IL, United States
Click here to register

Greater Miami Links Book & Author Luncheon
2025-11-15 11:00 - 14:00 | JW Marriott Turnberry Isle Resort, 19999 W Country Club Drive, Aventura, FL, United States
Click here for more information

VIRTUAL Vivian Harsh Readers Circle
2025-11-15 14:00 - 16:00

City Men Cook ThanksLiving Celebration in Dallas
2025-11-23 16:00 - 18:00 | Hall of State, 3939 Grand Avenue, Dallas, TX, United States

Joy Goddess at Columbia University School of Professional Studies in New York
2025-12-02 18:00 - 20:00 | Columbia University Bollinger Forum, 605 West 125th Street, New York, NY, 10027, United States
Click here to register (Eventbrite)

Indiana Historical Society Holiday Author Fair
2025-12-06 12:00 - 16:00 | Indiana Historical Society, 450 West Ohio Street, Indianapolis, IN, United States

Joy Goddess at Hillwood Museum in Washington, DC
2026-02-03 18:30 - 19:30 | Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens, 4155 Linnaean Street NW, Washington, DC, 20016, United States
This is the first program in Hillwood’s Great Homes and Gardens lecture series.
A’Lelia Bundles returns to Hillwood to share vintage photographs and stories from Joy Goddess: A’Lelia Walker and the Harlem Renaissance, the first major biography of her great-grandmother and namesake. Best known as the daughter of millionaire entrepreneur Madam C. J. Walker, A’Lelia Walker was a charismatic influencer and arts patron in her own right who traveled internationally and hosted some of the Jazz Age’s most memorable soirees at her Westchester mansion, Harlem townhouse and uptown pied-a-terre.
A’Lelia will sign copies of Joy Goddess: A’Lelia Walker and the Harlem Renaissance following the lecture.

VIRTUAL Everyday Yellow Book Talk
2026-02-18 18:00 - 19:00
Please join A’Lelia for a stimulating VIRTUAL conversation with coach Charisse Williams about Joy Goddess: A’Lelia Walker and the Harlem Renaissance and the importance of joy and resilience in these chaotic times.

A'Lelia Interviews L. Michelle Smith at MLK Library in DC
2026-02-19 19:00 - 21:00 | Martin Luther King, Jr. Library, 901 G Street, NW, Washington, DC, 20001, United States
A’Lelia interviews L. Michelle Smith about L. Michelle’s new book “Call & Response: 10 Leadership Lessons from the Black Church” at MLK Library in Washington, DC

From the MLK website:
Through rich storytelling, this keynote shares how powerful Black women (and men) in the Fortune 500, education, arts, and entertainment trace their earliest leadership lessons back to the church.
Did you know that humming a gospel tune before walking into a high-stakes meeting can rewire your brain to lead more effectively? The act triggers a release of dopamine, oxytocin, and serotonin—regulating emotions, lowering anxiety, and activating the reward center to halt fear from taking over your executive decision making..and not just any music can do this. It’s neuroscience. But for many Black professionals, it’s simply ritual—a practice rooted in the traditions of the Black Church.
We’ve practiced powerful, emotionally intelligent leadership for generations—without calling it that. Until now.
What the Audience Will Take Away
● A contemporary leadership framework rooted in both legacy and research
● A reintroduction to the practices that shaped them—and the science that validates them
● A call to lead with conviction, cultural intelligence, and heart—without apology

Montclair Public Library Book Talk with Khalil Muhammad
2026-02-21 16:00 - 18:00 | Montclair Public Library, 50 S. Fullerton Avenue, Montclair, NJ, 07402, United States
A’Lelia will be in conversation with historian and Princeton professor Khalil Muhammad at the Montclair Public Library
Register at https://bccls.libcal.com/event/15698895
From the MPL website
Open Book, Open Mind; A’Lelia Bundles, “Joy Goddess: A’Lelia Walker and the Harlem Renaissance”
Award-winning television producer and author A’Lelia Bundles will be talking with Princeton professor Khalil Gibran Muhammad about her new biography of A’Lelia Walker, her great grandmother, the hair care heiress and patroness of the Harlem Renaissance whom Langston Hughes called “the joy goddess of Harlem.” Bundles will also show a PowerPoint presentation of historic images and rare archival family photos.
Doors open at 3:30 p.m. The discussion will be followed by an audience Q&A and book sales and signing with Watchung Booksellers.

VIRTUAL High Point, NC Library Book Talk
2026-02-22 14:00 - 15:30 | High Point Public Library, High Point, NC, United States
Join A’Lelia for High Point Public Library’s “Taste of Harlem” discussion about Joy Goddess: A’Lelia Walker and the Harlem Renaissance hosted by librarian Maxine Days and Sisters Connected.
Click here for the registration link

Here’s the registration link

Sarasota ASALH and Links Joy Goddess Book Talk
2026-03-01 18:00 - 20:00 | Westcoast Black Theatre, 1012 N. Orange Avenue, Sarasota, FL, 34236, United States
A’Lelia Bundles will chat with Renee Gilmore, host of Empowering Voices on ABC7 Sarasota at West Coast Black Theatre, at a Joy Goddess talk hosted by the Manasota Branch of ASALH and the Bradenton/Sarasota Chapter of The Links, Inc.
Here’s the registration link

From the website

Dive into the life of A’Lelia Walker, the Heiress of the Harlem Renaissnace.

A’Lelia Bundles will discuss her new book, “Joy Goddess,” and share the scintillating story of the pioneering glamour and cultural patronage of her great-grandmother, after whom she was named, the hair-care heiress and Harlem Renaissance socialite A’Lelia Walker.

International Women's Day at MLK Library in DC
2026-03-08 13:30 - 16:30 | Martin Luther King, Jr. Library, 901 G Street, NW, Washington, DC, 20001, United States
A’Lelia will talk about the importance and urgent necessity of researching, writing about and preserving family legacy during these times of erasure and book banning.
From Unerased Black Women Speak
Authors, Activists, Artists Speak! Writing Our Story, Righting Our History Join Unerased | Black Women Speak to celebrate Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day. We’ll honor architects of American memory, imagination, and change. At this pivotal moment, we convene authors, activists, artists, writers and readers to affirm Black women’s voices through Herstory—past and present.

Atlanta History Center "Joy Goddess" Talk
2026-03-16 19:00 - 20:30 | Atlanta History Center, 130 West Paces Ferry Road, Atlanta, GA, 30305, United States
Click this link to register

From the AHC website: Drawing on extensive research and personal correspondence, A’Lelia Bundles presents a nuanced biography of a woman navigating life as a wife, mother, businesswoman, and patron outside the shadow of her famous mother’s legacy.
With vivid detail, Joy Goddess brings to life A’Lelia’s radiant personality, fashion-forward influence, and role as one of the most important cultural icons of Harlem, offering a fresh and unforgettable portrait of the woman who embodied the spirit of a new Black cultural era.
