What we’re about
This is a book club for Black women interested in reading and discussing books written by Black women (including but not limited to American, Caribbean, African, and European authors). I started this group to bring together people who love to read and who want to build a community focused on discovering, discussing, and celebrating the literature of Black women writers from across the African diaspora. We read literary fiction and nonfiction. We will meet monthly for book discussions at various locations across the city.
Upcoming events (4+)
See all- Book Club Run: Last Summer on State Street (with Read & Run Chicago)Chicago Bee Branch, Chicago Public Library, Chicago, IL
Join Read & Run Chicago and Black Girls Read Book Club for a ~5-mile, easy-paced (11:00 min/mile) Book Club Run in Bronzeville inspired by Toya Wolfe's novel, Last Summer on State Street. Register here (cost: $35 for guided run and discussion; free for discussion only).
Guide Cynthia Okechukwu (organizer of Black Girls Read Book Club) will guide runners through various points of interest related to Wolfe's novel and discuss the protagonist's friendships and family life, as well as the rise and fall of Chicago's public housing and Dan Ryan construction as they relate to the story. Following the running route, we'll end at the Chicago Bee Library Branch (3647 S. State) for snacks and a book club discussion.
We'll also have Chicago Books to Women in Prison on site, so please plan to bring any donations to drop off before or after the guided route! Here are the donation requirements.
Be sure to read the novel ahead of time! Purchase your copy here.
Not planning to run? Cyclists, rollers, rollerblades, scooters, and more welcome (take care of your own safety, please!). All registered readers & runners will receive email reminders prior to the event.
- #104: Brown Girl, Brownstones by Paule MarshallNeeds location
Our June book selection is Brown Girl, Brownstones by Paule Marshall.
Location TBD.
About the book: Selina's mother wants to stay in Brooklyn and earn enough money to buy a brownstone row house, but her father dreams only of returning to his island home. Torn between a romantic nostalgia for the past and a driving ambition for the future, Selina also faces the everyday burdens of poverty and racism. Written by and about an African-American woman, this coming-of-age story unfolds during the Depression and World War II. Its setting—a close-knit community of immigrants from Barbados—is drawn from the author's own experience, as are the lilting accents and vivid idioms of the characters' speech. Paule Marshall's 1959 novel was among the first to portray the inner life of a young female African-American, as well as depicting the cross-cultural conflict between West Indians and American blacks. It remains a vibrant, compelling tale of self-discovery.
***Support Black Girls Read Chicago by purchasing Brown Girl, Brownstones on Bookshop (affiliate link)!***
- Trivia + Running Tour: We Are The Culture with author Arionne NettlesChicago Athletic Association, Chicago, IL
Join Read & Run Chicago and Black Girls Read Book Club for a a live trivia experience with journalist, educator, and author Arionne Nettles to celebrate her book, We Are the Culture: Black Chicago’s Influence on Everything, followed by a 3-mile running tour with guide Cynthia Okechukwu. Register here (cost: $35 for trivia and guided run; $15 for trivia only)
As we move through key Loop landmarks that pulse with cultural history, you'll hear stories of Black entrepreneurs, artists, and more who have shaped Chicago—and the world.
Expect a fun, joyful, and thought-provoking experience that blends movement, storytelling, and friendly trivia inspired by the book. Whether you're a Chicago native, a culture lover, or just want to move your body with community, this event is for you.
No prior reading required; books will be available for purchase at the event.
Not planning to run? Cyclists welcome (take care of your own safety, please!) and ticket option to attend only the lecture portion.
- #105: Happy Land by Dolen Perkins-ValdezPromontory Field House, Chicago, IL
Our July book selection is Happy Land by Dolen Perkins-Valdez.
We will meet at Promontory Point, near the Promontory Field House. Our meeting location is in the park by the lake, NOT the restaurant/music venue near 53rd Street. Please leave yourself enough time to find your way, and read the directions under "How to find us" carefully.
About the book: Nikki hasn’t seen her grandmother in years. So when the elder calls out of the blue with an urgent request for Nikki to visit her in the hills of western North Carolina, Nikki hesitates only for a moment. After years of silence in her family, due to a mysterious estrangement between her mother and grandmother, she’s determined to learn the truth while she still can.
But instead of answers about the recent past, Mother Rita tells Nikki an incredible story of a kingdom on this very mountain, and of her great-great-great grandmother, Luella, who would become its queen.
It sounds like the makings of a fairy tale—royalty among a community of freed people. But the more Nikki learns about the Kingdom of the Happy Land, and the lives of those who dwelled in the ruins she discovers in the woods, the more she realizes how much of her identity and her family’s secrets are wrapped up in these hills. Because this land is their legacy, and it will be up to her to protect it before it, like so much else, is stolen away.
Inspired by true events, Happy Land is a transporting multi-generational novel about the stories that shape us and the dazzling courage it takes to dream.
***Support Black Girls Read Chicago by purchasing Happy Land on Bookshop (affiliate link).
