POTSDAM — A local author will discuss his book, “African American History of St. Lawrence County,”  at Potsdam Public Library’s Noon Book Club Wednesday, May 8, from. 12-2 p.m. Bryan S. Thompson, of De Kalb,  will give a free presentation on his book, which was 20 years in the making.

Thompson reveals the history of the African American community in New York's North Country.

Come discover the Black pioneers who shaped St. Lawrence County through grit and determination.

From its origins as part of New France through the Civil War and eventual industrialization of the region, St. Lawrence County has been shaped by all too often overlooked Black families and individuals.

Author Bryan S. Bryan Thompson is a lifelong resident of St. Lawrence County. He holds a BS from Cornell University and an MS from SUNY Geneseo. He has published more than fifty articles on local history in local, regional and state publications. He was the 2009 winner of the New York State Archives and New York State Regents Bruce W. Dearstyne Award for excellence in educational use of historical records. He is also a recipient of a state Archives Hackman Research Fellowship. He is an  Association of Public Historians of New York State registered public historian,  currently the municipal historian for the Town of De Kalb