Black Feminist Book Club Reads: My Country, Africa

From the venue:

The Charis Black Feminist Book Club Returns! Many of you told us you missed participating in the first iteration of this book club, hosted by Dr. Susana Morris. We are excited to bring back The Black Feminist Book Club with former Charis bookseller, Yemisi Combahee at the helm! 

This group will now meet regularly in-person at Charis on the first Sunday of each month at 3pm.

The event is free and open to all people, but we encourage and appreciate a donation of $5-20 in support of the work of Charis Circle, our programming non-profit. Donate online at www.chariscircle.org/donate or in person at the event.

About the book club:
The Black Feminist Book Club reads books written by Black transgender, gender expansive, and/or women writers, which center the liberation, struggle, and lived experiences of oppressed people/marginalized groups through a Black feminist perspective. The group celebrates classic and contemporary Black authors of fiction and nonfiction, all in the comfort of a historic feminist bookstore where many of these authors once read or shared their works!  Our goal is for these texts to be welcoming and accessible regardless of your background or familiarity with the books.Yemisi Combahee, a senior organizer with Black Feminist Future is the facilitator of this group. All community members are invited to attend with the acknowledgment that this is a space that centers Black women and gender expansive folks' thoughts, creativity, and lived experiences. We encourage folks to read the months book before our gathering but it is not required - come as you are, regardless of how much you've read!

About our July book pick
My Country, Africa: Autobiography of the Black Pasionaria by Andrée Blouin

“We who have been colonized can never forget”

Andrée Blouin—once called the most dangerous woman in Africa—played a leading role in the struggles for decolonization that shook the continent in the 1950s and ’60s, advising the postcolonial leaders of Algeria, both Congos, Ivory Coast, Mali, Guinea, and Ghana.

In this autobiography, Blouin retraces her remarkable journey as an African revolutionary. Born in French Equatorial Africa and abandoned at the age of three, she endured years of neglect and abuse in a colonial orphanage, which she escaped after being forced by nuns into an arranged marriage at fifteen. She later became radicalized by the death of her two-year-old son, who was denied malaria medication by French officials because he was one-quarter African.

In Guinea, where Blouin was active in Sékou Touré’s campaign for independence, she came into contact with leaders of the liberation movement in the Belgian Congo. Blouin witnessed the Congolese tragedy up close as an adviser to Patrice Lumumba, whose arrest and assassination she narrates in unforgettable detail.
 
Blouin offers a sweeping survey of pan-African nationalism, capturing the intricacies of revolutionary diplomacy, comradeship, and betrayal. Alongside intimate portraits of the movement’s leaders, Blouin provides insights into the often-overlooked contribution of African women in the struggle for independence.

Upcoming Books:

August: Zami by Audre Lorde
September: A Fighting Dream: The Political Writings of Claudia Jones
October: Annie John by Jamaica Kincaid
November: We Do This 'Til We Free Us by Mariame Kaba

In-person event guidelines:

All attendees must wear a face mask.
We will begin seating people at 2:45 PM ET.
As a reminder: If you are not feeling well, please do not come to the event.

If you have any questions regarding these guidelines or to request specific accessibility accommodations, please contact info@charisbooksandmore.com or call the store at 404-524-0304

By attending our event you agree to our Code of Conduct: Our event seeks to provide a harassment-free experience for everyone, regardless of gender, gender identity and expression, age, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, ethnicity, religion (or lack thereof), class, or technology choices. We do not tolerate harassment in any form. Unsolicited sexual language and imagery are not appropriate. Anyone violating these rules will be expelled from this event and all future events at the discretion of the organizers. Please report all harassment to info@chariscircle.org immediately.