AGENCY + CARE: The Power of Black Women Reading

 

Toni Morrison. Octavia Butler. Claudia Rankine. During times of political strife and social change, Black women writers such as these are truth-tellers who remind us of who we are and where we’ve been while imagining new futures. Their writing anchors organizing communities and book clubs—on and offline—as readers passionately discuss their texts, make new friends, seek refuge within community, and strategize action steps toward liberation. In recent years, the literary world has taken notice, as newly published Black (trans and cis)women authors shine on best-selling lists. This two-day event celebrates how Black women’s writing creates communities of care and action, and the power of reading in this political moment.

 

Tuesday, 22 October––Panel Discussion

 

Join Glory Edim (Creator, Well-Read Black Girl), Alexis Pauline Gumbs (Founder, Brilliance Remastered), Christen Smith (Creator, Cite Black Women), and Jamia Wilson (Editor, The Feminist Press) for a panel discussion about how they channel their love for feminist practice and Black women’s literature into their professional careers. Moderated by Bianca Williams (CUNY, Graduate Center).

 

Due to limited capacity, please register for tickets via Eventbrite.

 

Wednesday, 23 October––Workshops

 

Edim, Gumbs, Smith, and Wilson will offer workshops throughout the day that provide deeper insight into how they put their graduate education and their love for Black women’s writing to work. Workshops are free, but we ask you to please register for individual events.

 

9:30-10:45am: Freedom is a Practice: An Oracle Workshop with Alexis Pauline Gumbs

 

11:00am-12:15pm: Cite Black Women: Radical Praxis, Healing from Erasure with Christen Smith

 

2:00-3:15pm: The Future of Feminist Publishing with Jamia Wilson

 

3:30-4:45pm: Well-Read Black Girl: From Online Community to Literary Movement with Glory Edim