Award-winning author Velma Maia Thomas discusses the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation, citing material from her new book, "Emancipation Proclamation Forever Free," at the Conyers-Rockdale Library on Thursday, Feb. 20 at 7 p.m.

Thomas is the author of several non-fiction books, including the award- winning interactive Lest We Forget: The Passage from Africa to Slavery and Emancipation. Her recent work includes "The Odd Fellow City: The Promise of a Leading Black Town," published in the Journal of the Georgia Association of Historians in 2012. Thomas also served as a subject expert for the PBS documentary, "Underground Railroad: The William Still Story."

Currently Maia Thomas serves as Special Projects Director for the office of Atlanta City Councilmember Michael Julian Bond, Post 1 At Large. Thomas served as manager of the Shrine of the Black Madonna Bookstore and Cultural Center in Atlanta from 1987-2000, where she created the nationally acclaimed Black Holocaust Exhibit, a collection of original documents on slavery in America. She holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from Howard University, a master's degree in political science from Emory University, and a graduate level certificate in Heritage Preservation from Georgia State University.

The program will be held in the Meeting Room on the lower level of the library, 864 Green Street. The program is free and the public is invited. Copies of Thomas's book, "Emancipation Proclamation Forever Free" will be available for purchase and signing.