Greetings and Happy Women’s History Month everyone!
I’m going to be writing a few reflections this month about the women who inspire me and a part of my unique community globally.
I want to start my reflections with a conversation about my book club an ode to Black women authors, their stories, and their impact on me.
I come from a legacy of readers.
My mom and grandma love books.
My mom even has her own book club, and she inspired mines as well.
She introduced me to The Color Purple by Alice Walker,
I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou,
and Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry by Mildred Taylor.
Books like these connect to my roots.
Books like these illuminate who I am.
These books have transcended time.
These books have transcended spaces, and transitioned art forms.
I began reading at age 4 to my elementary classmates, as I always have loved books. The first book I remember reading as a kid that was by a Black woman is Celeste’s Harlem Renaissance by Eleanora E Tate.
Book Summary: When Celeste Lassiter Massey is forced to live with her actress Aunt Valentina in Harlem, she is not thrilled to trade her friends and comfortable North Carolina for scary, big-city life. While Celeste experiences the Harlem Renaissance in full swing, she sees as much grit as glamour. A passionate writer, talented violinist, and aspiring doctor, she eventually faces a choice between ambition and loyalty, roots and horizons. The decision will change her forever.
It came out in 2007, and I loved it!
I remember reading it multiple times.
Reading this book helped me to connect with my heritage and heart.
My roots are in the American south, and this book represents that so well.
Now as an adult, my book club with my friends is a representation of this.
I started reading books by Black women in 2023 with my book club.
I discovered majority of them by working at Busboys and Poets, as mentioned in my last blog post.
However, what sparked this was a meet and greet event at Mahogany Books DC, a local bookstore staple.
MahoganyBooks is a team of people-oriented, book lovers working hard to become the nations premier bookstore. Their store specializes in providing customers with an exceptional literary experience built around books written for, by, or about people of the African Diaspora.
MahoganyBooks is an online and in-store bookshop that believes in social entrepreneurship. They take a leadership role in the African American community promoting reading, writing, and cultural awareness as tools to improve communities as well as enrich the lives of motivated individuals.
It is Black women- owned and family -owned, and they invited my friend and amazing author Jayne Allen.
We met at the event, but I had already read her book trilogy. She had just finished writing the third.
She generously offered to speak with my book club for an intimate Q&A.
We talked with her about the trilogy she created and the beauty of how her characters represented intricate parts of our lives and those we love.
In 2023, I had the opportunity to also discover the amazing book Reclamation by Gayle Jessup White.
She is a descendant of Sally Hemings and Thomas Jefferson, and she works at Monticello Museum in Virginia.
She is their first Public Relations and Community Engagement Officer.
She has written and spoken about her work at Monticello, the legacies of slavery, and her family’s contributions to American history.
Her book is so riveting and inspiring.
Her journey is fascinating, and encapsulates the American story.
This is the quintessential story of who we are, what we have overcome, and her book illuminates our truth.
Reclamation by Gayle Jessup White
We read Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson, a story of a Jamaican woman and her family secrets.
We were able to share about our cultural and familial experiences, and reflect on the story parallels.
Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson
We also read Caste by Isabel Wilkerson, an incredible piece of work about the origins of USA, Germany, and the origins of India.
We read this book in the summer and we found it and the movie Origin so eye-opening and thought-provoking.
We did a watch party for the film and we thoroughly enjoyed every minute.
Isabel Wilkerson has a long history of writing novels on historical topics.
One of which I have read, and it’s called The Warmth of Other Suns. This book is about migration in the USA by Black Americans in the South.
Lastly, we read The Garden Within:
This book is by Dr. Anita Phillips, she is a trauma therapist, and in her book she teaches how to deal with trauma and processing emotions in a healthy manner, and educates on the mind.
She is also a minister recognized as a thought leader at the intersection of mental health, faith, and culture.
Dr. Anita holds degrees from the University of Maryland and Regent University. She completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, which lead to her new novel.
In our book club, we discussed how we process our own emotions and work through them to healing.
It allowed us to be open and honest with ourselves and with each other.
Currently, we are reading Homecoming by minister and psychologist Dr. Thema Bryant.
This book has come at a great time.
I read it last year in 2024, and we are enjoying it and her podcast so far.
Black women are important, and so are the stories that we create.
Thank you for reflecting with me!
Until the next adventure,
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