MY FATHER’S HOUSE | A Busboys and Poets Presentation
Date and Time
May 13, 2025 6:00 pm
Location
14th & V
2021 14th St NW, Washington, District of Columbia, 20009
May 13, 2025 6:00 pm
14th & V
Join the son of iconic African American Congressman John Conyers Jr. to shine a spotlight on his father and his legacy
In this moving work, part clear-eyed assessment, part memoir, the son of iconic African American Congressman John Conyers Jr. shines a spotlight on his father and his political legacy, and reveals how, as his son, he eventually learned to leverage his own voice in a world that his father helped create.
A respectful, thoughtful, yet clear-eyed reframing of a national hero's personal and political odyssey, My Father's House is John Conyers III's love letter to his father and a record of his own journey. Conyers reveals a towering figure in modern American political history and an ordinary family man; a leader whose work in Washington necessitated his many absences as a father from a son coming of age in Detroit.
John Conyers III introduces us to John James Conyers, Jr. the legislator, who changed lives and made history, and of his equity-focused work that remains to be done. We meet Conyers the politician and mentor who worked with and counselled a network of powerbrokers--often from the family home on Seven Mile Road in the Motor City--including President Bill Clinton, Congressmen Adam Clayton Powell Jr., Charlie Rangel, Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, the Reverend Jesse Jackson, feminist Gloria Steinem, entertainer-activists Harry Belafonte, Berry Gordy, Stevie Wonder, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, Chris Tucker and a slew of other players in Washington, DC, and across the nation.
A resonant political, historical, and family story, My Father's House explores how John James Conyers, Jr., was at once a man of deep and abiding spiritual faith, human talents, and human weaknesses. As he places his father among this land's greatest lawmakers, he also demystifies and grounds the Civil Rights giants of that era, reminding us of their noble yet deeply flawed humanity. This exploration of John James Conyers, Jr., told through John Conyers III's eyes and experiences, is essential to a thorough understanding of modern U.S. politics and the cultures and human lives it continues to shape.
John Conyers III is joining us on the Busboys stage to celebrate the release of this “love letter that allows us an intimate look into a cherished and tender relationship between father and son, and between a dedicated public servant and his city…” (Jemele Hill, Author and contributing writer for The Atlantic). Copies of the book will be available for purchase during and after the event, and John Conyers III will be signing following the program.
This event is free and open to all. Our program begins at 6:00 pm, and will be followed by an audience Q&A. Copies of MY FATHER’S HOUSE will be available for purchase before and after the event. Please note that this event is in person and will not be livestreamed.
We ask that guests RSVP in order to receive direct updates about the event from Busboys and Poets Books
John Conyers III is an accomplished entrepreneur and dedicated political organizer deeply rooted in the Detroit community. A proud graduate of Detroit Renaissance High School, he pursued studies in philosophy at Morehouse College and The New School. John is committed to revitalizing Detroit—establishing it as a blueprint for infrastructure that advances economic and political power in underserved communities. He’s also an avid basketball enthusiast, mentoring youth in valuable life skills.
