Second Annual Dora D. Robinson Speaker Series Features Bestselling Author Victoria Christopher Murray

On March 19, 2025 Westfield State University hosted the second annual Dora D. Robinson Speaker Series, welcoming award-winning author Victoria Christopher Murray to campus to speak to a crowd of students, faculty, staff, and community members eager to learn from the acclaimed writer.

Victoria Christopher Murray is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than 30 novels, including The Personal

 Librarian, The First Ladies, and Harlem Rhapsody written with co-author Marie Benedict. Several of her novels have also made their way to the screen as Lifetime Channel movies.  She has been recognized with the Phyllis Wheatley Trailblazer Award, the Delta Sigma Theta Osceola Award for Excellence in the Arts, Go on Girl Book Club Author of the Year, eleven African American Literary Awards and five NAACP Image Award nominations. In 2016, she won the Image Award for Outstanding Literature for her social commentary novel, Stand Your Ground. The Personal Librarian was a Good Morning America Book Club selection and named a Best Book of the Year by NPR. The First Ladies was Target’s 2023 Book of the Year.

Host Wesley Days Jr. of Western Mass News served as host as Christopher Murray and President Linda Thompson came together for a conversation that explored themes of resilience, inspiration, and the challenges women, particularly women of color, face in leadership and professional spaces. The event also brought to the stage Elizabeth Dineen, CEO of the YWCA of Western Massachusetts, Kimberly Williams, Vice President of Administration and Transformation for the Urban League of Springfield, and Dena Cooper, President of The Springfield Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated, to offer reflections on the legacy of Dora Robinson.

In President Thompson’s opening remarks, she found inspiration from Christopher Murray’s historical fiction that draws attention to the untold stories of women who have made tremendous impact on our world. She shared the story of 1897 Westfield Normal School graduate Susan Payton who moved to Harlem in 1913 to be her brother’s bookkeeper. Her brother, Philip Payton, Jr., was known as “The Father of Black Harlem” because he acquired properties in the community and rented them to Black residents at a time when many landlords refused to do so. Susan would go on to become an active philanthropist and leader in local churches and social organizations and even published in W.E.B. DuBois’s pioneering children’s magazine, The Brownies’ Book, which features prominently in Harlem Rhapsody, Christopher Murray’s most recent novel. 

The conversation between Christopher Murray and Thompson highlighted women like Susan Payton whose story is not well known and discussed how the author identifies these women, researches their lives and experiences, and creates fictional narratives to both entertain and educate. She noted that, “A history untold is a history that can be erased” and so any work that captures these stories is doing a service not just to the past but for the future. 

“History may not repeat itself but it does rhyme. What we can learn from the past is to not make the same mistakes. Historical fiction makes history more accessible for everyone.”

She argued that although she may not know what happened in private conversations between her characters, she does thorough research on the subjects and spends a great deal of time with their personal letters. “I never lie. I never create fiction of someone’s character – what they would’ve believed or who they proved themselves to be by their acts that are well documented.”

Audience members also had an opportunity to ask their own questions which ranged from seeking advice on becoming writers to how to discover more stories of women who have been forgotten over time.

Earlier in the day, Christopher Murray visited a creative writing class where she took questions from student writers. She noted the importance of allowing people to ask authors questions about not only their works but also how to break into publishing and the business side of writing. She referred to her own life story in her thoughts on the importance of engaging with young writers. “If I had an author to talk to when I was young I wouldn’t have waited until I was 42 to write my first novel. I took a long road to writing so I’m hoping to give others a short cut.”

The evening concluded with a book signing and a toast to Dora Robinson where all were encouraged to honor the legacy of

 Robinson and women like her by doing more to uplift women in our communities who give much of themselves for others.

The Dora D. Robinson Speaker Series was founded by Westfield State University President Linda Thompson to honor Robinson’s contributions to the Western Massachusetts community, shaping it into a more just and equitable place where all can thrive in a supportive and welcoming environment. 

This year’s sponsors included the YWCA of Western Massachusetts, the Greater Springfield Chapter of The Links, Incorporated, the Springfield Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated, the Public Health Institute of Western Massachusetts, and Liberty Bank.