What we’re about
Welcome fellow Readers! This is an African-American book club in Denver for Black people to discuss issues of race in America regarding African-Americans, Black Americans, and the Black diaspora worldwide. This is an inclusive and progressive group and all Black people are welcome to join. The main purpose of the group is to foster community in Denver amongst the Black diaspora. This group reads and discusses books by Black authors and based on the comfort level of members in the group, we choose whether to conduct meetings virtually or in person, possibly at a Denver library, coffee shop, or other decided upon venue.
Upcoming events (2)
See all- Let's Select Our Next Book! Book Club Poll/DiscussionWhittier Cafe, Denver, CO
Hello Book Club People! For our next Fiction book in the second half of May, we will be choosing between the following 6 titles.
"Parable of the Talents" by Octavia E. Butler - A dystopian novel set in a post-apocalyptic California where Lauren Olamina, the founder of the Earthseed religion, faces immense challenges in protecting her community and her daughter from a rising tide of fanaticism and oppression (Timely)
"Transcendent Kingdom" by Yaa Gyasi - Yaa Gyasi's stunning follow-up to her acclaimed national best seller Homegoing is a powerful, raw, intimate, deeply layered novel about a Ghanaian family in Alabama.
"Indigo" by Beverly Jenkins - As a child Hester Wyatt escaped slavery, but now the dark skinned beauty is a dedicated member of Michigan's Underground railroad, offering other runaways a chance at the freedom she has learned to love. When one of her fellow conductors brings her an injured man to hide, Hester doesn't hesitate even after she is told about the price on his head. The man in question is the great conductor known as the "Black Daniel" a vital member of the north's Underground railroad network, but Hester finds him so rude and arrogant, she begins to question her vow to hide him.
"James" by Percival Everett - When Jim overhears that he is about to be sold to a man in New Orleans, separated from his wife and daughter forever, he runs away until he can formulate a plan. Meanwhile, Huck has faked his own death to escape his violent father. As all readers of American literature know, thus begins the dangerous and transcendent journey by raft down the Mississippi River toward the elusive and unreliable promise of the Free States and beyond.
"Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie - Ifemelu and Obinze are young and in love when they depart military-ruled Nigeria for the West. Beautiful, self-assured Ifemelu heads for America, where despite her academic success, she is forced to grapple with what it means to be black for the first time.
"The Sacred Place" by Daniel Black - In the summer of 1955, fourteen-year-old Clement enters a general store in Money, Mississippi to purchase a soda. Unaware of the consequences of flouting the rules governing black-white relations in the South, this Chicago native defies tradition, by laying a dime on the counter and turns to depart. Miss Cuthbert, the store attendant, demands that he place the money in her hand, but he refuses, declaring, "I ain't no slave!" and exits with a sense of entitlement unknown to black people at the time. His behavior results in his brutal murder. This event sparks a war in Money, forcing the black community to galvanize its strength in pursuit of equality.
Poll: https://strawpoll.com/ajnE1WeQAnW
These books were randomly selected from the book list at the following link:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1EfdJlaTJydyXoiQsEcb02k1cYucu-Ta-EYc6alkKOTw/edit?usp=sharing
Everyone gets to vote for 2 books and I've extended the duration of the voting period by 2 weeks. So, the voting ends on April 27th, Sunday, 11:59pm. I will announce the book that has the most votes on April 28th and then I will set up our next meeting to discuss the winning book! I'll set up the meeting 4 weeks after voting ends to give you time to read the winning book. If anyone has any particular book that they'd like to add to future polls, feel free to contact me on Meetup or add it to the book list shown above! Thank you all for participating!
P.S. The books that you would like to present can be different from the books in the book club poll.
https://strawpoll.com/ajnE1WeQAnW
I'm setting this meeting up as a get-together at the Whittier Cafe for us to discuss book club items and any possible future meeting ideas for the book club during the summer, so I'm looking forward to everyone joining us for coffee and discussion!
- Castlewood Canyon Hike-Outdoor Afro and the African American Book Club of DenverCastlewood Canyon State Park, Franktown, CO
Who: Outdoor Afro and the African American Book Club of Denver!
What: “Soil” by Camille T. Dungy. Collaboration event with Outdoor Afro of Colorado to discuss this book.
When: May 3rd, 11AM MST
Where: Castlewood Canyon – trailhead to be announced the week before the hike. The book discussion will be preceded by a short, beginner hike (all experience levels are welcome to join us!)
Why: To experience nature and enjoy our right to outdoor activities and fun with other Black people in our fostered community.
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Please Sign The Waiver! Thank You!!
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It’s happening! The long-anticipated event with Outdoor Afro of Colorado! We are discussing the book “Soil” by Camille T. Dungy, a memoir of Dungy’s life that discusses the relationship between humanity, the earth, and social justice. We will be meeting at Castlewood Canyon State Park (the exact trailhead will be determined soon and announced here), where we’ll embark on a short hike to the amphitheater and then discuss the book. This hike is for all levels and will be mostly on a paved trail with a small portion (15-20%) ascending in elevation, so please don’t hesitate to attend if you’re a beginner or your hiking skills are rusty.
Please arrive on time, if only to be able to easily find adequate parking, and bring some essentials such as water, a small snack, and sturdy shoes. Attached is a hiking waiver that must be signed before you can attend this event, but don’t worry! This is a very manageable and safe hike for those who have little hiking experience. And for those who have more experience, maybe we can arrange a more difficult hike soon!
Please join us to discuss this impactful book, in the presence of nature, while enjoying community! I hope to see you there!
-austin
