Keith Rushing is a former newspaper reporter who worked in Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and California before becoming a communications strategist for an environmental nonprofit. His writing has also appeared in outlets such as The Huffington Post and Ebony.com. A native of Queens, New York, he now lives in Washington, D.C., with his wife and two children.

In his powerful debut, Descended, Rushing traces his family’s history beginning with a single remembered name—Sancho. His search leads to the Gullah-Geechee communities of the South Carolina and Georgia Sea Islands, where he uncovers the story of an ancestor born into slavery on Hilton Head Island who later fought for his own freedom and became a landowner. Part personal journey, part history, Descended is both a family chronicle and a vivid portrait of Hilton Head’s transformation, exploring themes of memory, identity, and belonging.

Books will be available for sale at the event, with a signing session to follow.

Free for members; $10 for non-members.

Seating is limited; registration is encouraged via Eventbrite

St. Simons Casino Theater