Were Your There? A Biography of Emma Wakefield-Paillet
Saturday, April 5th
11:15AM – 12:15PM
Shadows Visitors Center, 320 East Main Street
Margaret Simon lives on the Bayou Teche in New Iberia, Louisiana. Margaret has been an elementary school teacher for 38 years, most recently teaching gifted students in Iberia Parish. She is a co-author of Were You There: A Biography of Emma Wakefield-Piallet. This latest book tells the story of the first African American woman to receive a medical degree in the state of Louisiana. Phebe Hayes was the catalyst and researcher for this book of prose and poetry. Margaret’s first book of children’s poetry was published in 2018 by UL Press, Bayou Song: Creative Explorations of the South Louisiana Landscape. Margaret’s poems have appeared in anthologies including The Poetry of US by National Geographic and Rhyme & Rhythm: Poems for Student Athletes. Margaret writes a blog regularly at http://reflectionsontheteche.com
Dr. Phebe Hayes, a lifelong resident of Iberia Parish, is a descendant of West African ancestors who were enslaved on local plantations. Her ancestors contributed to the fight for emancipation during the Civil War, serving in the United States Colored Infantry or the Union Navy.
After 27 years of service at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Dr. Hayes retired as Dean and Professor Emerita. She has received numerous honors for her dedication to uncovering and teaching the history of African Americans in Iberia Parish and its surrounding areas. Notably, she was awarded the prestigious 2023 James William Rivers Prize in Louisiana Studies.
Dr. Hayes and her husband, Harold Hayes, reside in New Iberia, Louisiana. They are the proud parents of Matthew Hayes and Claire Hayes Watson and grandparents to Ruby Claire Watson.
About the event:
Phebe Hayes, founder of the Iberia African American Society, and Margaret Simon, Iberia Parish Teacher, teamed up to write a historical book for middle school through college about the life of Emma Wakefield-Paillet, the first African American woman to receive a medical degree in the state of Louisiana. Phebe’s extensive research about the Black people of Iberia Parish is ongoing and inspiring. Margaret Simon writes poems in the voice of Emma, imagining her emotions while experiencing family tragedies and the oppression during the post Civil War south. In this presentation, you will learn about the collaboration and creation of the book Were You There: A Biography of Emma Wakefield-Paillet published by UL Press.
