By Ken Epstein

Local Democratic clubs and community organizations interviewed candidates running for Oakland school board in the November elections, including incumbents Jennifer Brouhard in District 2, Mike Hutchinson in District 4 and Valarie Bachelor in District 6.

For the first time, the interviews were jointly sponsored by the John George Democratic Club, Wellstone Democratic Renewal Club, Oakland East Bay Democratic Club, Black Women Organized for Political Action (BWOPA), Niagara Democratic Club, Block by Block Organizing Network and Oakland African American Chamber of Commerce.

The Democratic clubs interviewed only registered Democrats.

John George and Wellstone endorsed Brouhard and Bachelor. Neither endorsed Hutchinson.

In District 4, Wellstone ranked Sylvia Pfeiffer Williams first and Kathryn Camp second. John George ranked Camp first and Williams second.

Hutchinson, an Oakland native and Oakland public schools graduate, highlighted his record.

“I was in board leadership and chaired the Budget and Finance Committee,” he said. “We passed balanced budgets and paid off the state loan early, which allowed us to finally leave state receivership after 22 years.”

Hutchinson said the district faces a financial crisis requiring changes in board leadership and district policies.

“We need a different majority so we can get back on track, end school closures, and manage our resources better,” he said.

Williams taught adult education in Oakland for 18 years.

Williams said her philosophy “comes from the disability justice world, to center the needs of the most vulnerable. When we center the needs of the most vulnerable, we create environments, systems, and learning experiences in which everyone can thrive.”

Williams framed potential school closures as an equity issue.

“Are we thinking about closing schools up in the hills?” she asked. “Or are we thinking about closing schools where communities are in crisis right now?”

Camp, a Bay Area native and Oakland resident of 25 years, has a son in second grade.

“Our kids are only getting one shot at a great education, and I’m running to bring pragmatic, student-centered leadership that restores trust, builds responsibility, and delivers results for every child,” she said.

On her website, Camp pledged accountability and transparency. “As a proud OUSD parent, I know our schools need more than promises – they need fiscal responsibility, equity, and meaningful action guided by long-term strategy,” she said.

“That means protecting classrooms, supporting teachers, using resources wisely, and making decisions that reflect clear priorities and real accountability,” said Camp. “It also means bringing people together and providing the kind of steady leadership that can navigate complex systems, ask hard questions, and stay grounded in what matters most: student outcomes, thriving schools, and a district that works for the communities it serves.”

Wellstone’s Education Committee said it opposed Hutchinson because he frequently challenged the board majority and superintendent.

“He also claims that the teachers’ contract is illegal that a grand jury should be called. He is not endorsed by the teachers’ union; he has been disruptive and non-collaborative at meetings,” and he has been absent 26% of the time, the committee said.

“He claims that the teachers’ contract is illegal and that a grand jury should be called,” the committee said. “He takes individual credit for accomplishments, including paying the state loan, when in fact these changes came from the work of the entire board, or were the result of following through on policy.”

Next week: District 6 school board candidates.

Today’s students and young adults are true digital natives, having grown up online, learning to navigate digital spaces as a normal part of daily life. As they transition to college, they turn to digital platforms and social media for everything from apartment hunting and job searches to shopping, banking and talking with friends.

That familiarity, however, can create a false sense of security, making younger adults just as much of a target for fraud and scams as older individuals. According to the FBI’s Internet Crime Report, Americans ages 20–29 reported more than $500 million to internet-crime losses in 2025.

As scammers become more sophisticated, including using AI, students need to be more vigilant than ever about fraud and scams. Understanding the most common ones can help you avoid becoming a victim.

Common Scams Targeting Students

Online shopping and marketplace scams

Whether you’re furnishing a dorm, moving into an apartment or buying textbooks, online deals and secondhand marketplaces can help you save money while also creating more opportunities for scammers.

Buy from official and trusted retailers whenever possible, double check website URLs for misspellings or other red flags, and make sure the site uses https://. Be wary of deals that seem too good to be true as well. Avoid clicking links in unsolicited emails or text messages, including fake “missed delivery” notifications that often lead to fraudulent websites or malware.

Before making a purchase, read seller reviews and ratings. If you’re buying locally, meet in a safe public place and inspect the item before paying.

Job scams

As students return to school this fall, some may be looking for part-time jobs or internships. Scammers target students with fake jobs offering high salaries, flexible schedules or jobs you can do from your residence hall, apartment or home.

If you receive a job offer by text, email, or direct message – be cautious, especially if you never applied to work at that company. Always use well-known job boards and then apply directly through the company’s official website. 

Also, if an employer asks you to pay upfront for training, equipment, background checks or application fees, it may be a sign of a scam. Legitimate companies will never charge you to get a job. They also won’t send you money and then ask you to return a portion of it.

Rental and housing scams

Scammers know student housing is in high demand. They’ll often post fake apartment listings or copy legitimate ones to trick potential renters into sending money for a deposit.

Rental prices that seem unusually low should raise a red flag. Use a reverse image search to see if photos of the property appear on a different website or in a different location. Research unfamiliar property managers or housing websites before sending money, and avoid paying deposits through wire transfers, gift cards or peer-to-peer payment apps.

Double check the address, read online reviews of the property management company and schedule a tour of the house or apartment before signing a lease or sending a deposit. That way, you’ll know the listing and location is real. 

The influence of AI

Thanks to artificial intelligence, scammers can now create cloned voices and deepfake videos, along with fraudulent emails, text messages and even websites and apps that look real. These AI tools let scammers impersonate family members, employers, banks, law enforcement, delivery companies and trusted brands to get you to send money or share personal information.

How to protect yourself

No matter what type of scam you encounter, a few simple habits can go a long way toward reducing your risk:

• Limit the personal information you share online and make social media profiles private whenever possible. This can help reduce the information scammers can use to target you, guess your security questions or attempt to access your financial accounts.
• When you’re making a payment, use more protected methods, such as credit and debit cards, which generally offer stronger consumer protections than wire transfers, gift cards or peer-to-peer payment apps. Treat peer-to-peer payments, such as Zelle, like cash — once the money is sent, it’s often difficult to recover.
• Scammers can spoof phone numbers to make calls look like they’re coming from your bank, law enforcement or another trusted organization. Don’t automatically trust your caller ID – if you get a call demanding immediate action or claiming there’s a problem with your account, hang up and call back directly using a verified phone number. Banks will never call and ask you for account information, tell you to transfer money to ‘protect’ it or pressure you to act immediately.
• Don’t click links or download attachments from unexpected emails or text messages and avoid accessing your financial accounts or making online purchases on public Wi-Fi, where savvy cybercriminals can gain access to your login credentials. 
• Perhaps most importantly, slow down. Back-to-school season brings a flurry of financial decisions and scammers know students are looking for deals. They often create a false sense of urgency to try to pressure people into making quick decisions. Taking a few extra minutes to verify information can make the difference.

The bottom line

Whether you’re shopping for school supplies, searching for a job or signing your first lease if you’re entering college, your status as a student can make you a prime target for scammers.

Stay skeptical of unsolicited offers, verify before you pay or share personal information, and slow down when something feels rushed. Those simple habits can help protect your money, your identity and your peace of mind throughout the school year from scams and fraud.

For more financial health tips, visit chase.com/scamproof.

For informational/educational purposes only: Views and strategies described in this article or provided via links may not be appropriate for everyone and are not intended as specific advice/recommendation for any business. Information has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, but JPMorgan Chase & Co. or its affiliates and/or subsidiaries do not warrant its completeness or accuracy. The material is not intended to provide legal, tax, or financial advice or to indicate the availability or suitability of any JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. product or service. You should carefully consider your needs and objectives before making any decisions and consult the appropriate professional(s). Outlooks and past performance are not guarantees of future results. JPMorgan Chase & Co. and its affiliates are not responsible for, and do not provide or endorse third party products, services, or other content.

Deposit products provided by JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. Member FDIC. Equal Opportunity Lender.

 © 2026 JPMorgan Chase & Co.

By Rev. Al Sharpton

Through a new National Action Network initiative, artificial intelligence is framed as a practical tool for industry preparedness.

We are at the forefront of a fundamental shift of access and opportunity. When new technology emerges, marginalized communities are often told to catch up to systems we did not design, and adjust to landscapes that would sooner leave us behind than include us in their architecture. Often during these shifts, our communities become the least resourced, and must navigate industries whose rate of change outpaces their rate of exposure. To combat this, these communities must develop emerging systems of knowledge through internal networks of education, skill-exchange, and entrepreneurship. This is a civil rights issue.

Now, at the dawn of the artificial intelligence era, the same systems our communities have always built for ourselves must rise again. We have had to teach one another how to navigate every new language of power, often because nobody was coming to teach us. AI cannot be different.

If Black and Brown communities are going to compete at the highest levels of industry, then practical AI training cannot be reserved for Silicon Valley boardrooms, elite universities, or people who already have a seat at the table. It has to reach our residents, our clergy, our organizers, our entrepreneurs, our young people, and our families.

For this reason, National Action Network is putting AI education directly in the hands of the community with a new initiative led by AI fluency strategist Susan Hearn. The AI Fluency Initiative’s premise combines the doctrines of racial equity with technology and culture, elevating how access makes AI such a consequential force in determining who gets to shape the next era of American life.

Too often, our communities are spoken for as populations that technology is happening to, rather than working for. We hear about the jobs AI might eliminate, the algorithms that discriminate, and the industries being disrupted. Those concerns are real, but that cannot be where the conversation ends.

We must proactively shift this narrative. We are not just workers to be displaced and demographics to be reached after AI has already disrupted the landscape. We are purveyors and engineers of this technology and should be considered active participants in its use.

Our initiative seeks to interrupt that sequence, refusing to let us become passive figures in a shift that should be empowering us.

For over three-decades, NAN has understood that civil rights advocacy must be practiced wherever inequality shows up. Technology education is included in this conversation because of what it bestows on the communities it reaches. It is one component of a broader commitment, ensuring that communities historically excluded from emerging industries have the tools to participate fully in the economic and cultural shifts of our future. Economic self-determination is just as much a pillar of equity as it is a part of voting rights and equal legal protections.

For us, access is not meaningful if it arrives after everyone else has already learned the rules. So, we start with the fundamentals. The AI Fluency Initiative is designed as a repeated working session to meet people where they are. Students are introduced to the technology across various use cases, then sent home with usable skills based on the work produced during the session.

NAN has always fought to ensure that no community is locked out of the economy. From the fight for fair employment and access to capital to the push for equity in education and homeownership, we have consistently been at the forefront of keeping the doors of opportunity open to all. This fight is no different.

AI is the next gate through which the mechanisms of opportunity will pass through. It is quickly becoming part of how people apply for jobs, build businesses, and articulate themselves. The use cases are vast and the adoption has been swift. If these tools are becoming part of everyday life, then access to understanding them must become an element of everyday empowerment. It is paramount to us that Black communities are not only exposed, but at the helm.

We know that progress does not always distribute evenly. Communities have to demand access and request inclusion in the infrastructure of change. This self-advocacy is often the only way to ensure that hegemony does not continue to inflict exclusion and disenfranchisement on those who could most benefit from seismic shifts in industry. We must refuse to be told to wait our turn, and instead harness the tools of self-education and empowerment.

To be serious about the wealth gap means confronting the technologies reshaping work culture. Amending the academic achievement gap requires us to refuse a literacy discrepancy from arising in the first place. Equity requires preparation, and we are in the unique position to harness these emerging tools so that it is our voices that are heard, our perspectives that are amplified, and our communities that are enfranchised.

The AI Fluency Initiative is an access measure addressing an economic gap.

By Carla Thomas

For educator, childcare provider and children’s author Tarsha Jordan, Bonita the Bumble Bee is much more than a colorful storybook character. The cheerful bee has become a teaching tool, a comforting friend and a creative way for children to explore their emotions, navigate life changes and discover the world around them.

Jordan’s inspiration for Bonita grew from her lifelong commitment to children and education. With more than 30 years of experience as an educator and administrator, she operates Kindergarten Readiness Academy, a licensed family childcare program in Oakland’s Longfellow neighborhood. The academy prepares young children socially, emotionally and academically for school.

Her firsthand experience has given Jordan a deep understanding of how children communicate, what captures their attention, and how stories can open conversations young readers may not otherwise know how to begin.

Jordan describes her mission as developing lifelong learners who love reading while introducing children to relatable characters. Bonita fulfills that mission by addressing real-life experiences in language children can understand.

In “Bonita The Bumble Bee and the Quarantine,” Jordan helped young readers process the uncertainty and isolation surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. In a later book about returning to school, Bonita guided children through changing routines, expectations and emotions. Designed to promote social-emotional development and mental health awareness, editions were made available in English, Spanish and Mandarin.

Bonita’s impact becomes even more immediate when children meet the character in person. Jordan recently hosted a Mommy and Me children’s tea party at Bay Street Emeryville, where Bonita buzzed around the event, greeted young guests and brought the literary character to life.

“The children can interact with the character, experience the excitement of seeing a familiar literary friend come to life and develop an even stronger connection with reading,” Jordan said.

For children of color, that connection carries another important dimension: representation. Children benefit from seeing themselves reflected in books, educational environments, imaginative characters and the people creating those stories.

Jordan also believes Bonita expands children’s imaginations and encourages them to envision new possibilities.

“When children of color see authors that look like them creating books, building educational programs and bringing original characters into their communities, they are exposed to the possibilities beyond the story itself,” Jordan said. “They can begin to imagine themselves as writers, educators, entrepreneurs, artists and creators.”

Founded to introduce STEAM, (science, technology, engineering, the arts and mathematics) to children in transitional kindergarten through third grade, Bonita The Bumble Bee also addresses neurodivergent behaviors.

Known to young learners as “Teacher Tarsha,” Jordan combines Bonita’s whimsical personality with hands-on experiments and activities for children ages 3 to 8. The experiences promote early literacy, strengthen problem-solving skills and give children tools for managing their emotional health.

Jordan holds master’s degrees in education and public administration and is pursuing a doctorate in education. Her academic preparation and extensive classroom experience help her create programs that are both engaging and developmentally meaningful.

“We’re hoping to take Bonita to the next level and welcome new partnerships,” Jordan said.

Visit BonitaTheBumbleBee.com

By Ken Epstein and Post Staff

Earlier this year, two Oakland parents formed a new Political Action Committee (PAC), which they describe as an “Oakland parent-led effort working towards better public schools” focused on electing new leaders in Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) Districts 2 and 6, opposing progressive incumbents.

So far, the Parent PAC has donated to Arielle Fleisher in District 2 and Alexandra Williams in District 6.

According to the latest filing with the City of Oakland, the PAC raised a total of $45,540 but received just 12 individual contributions from Oaklanders who appear to be OUSD parents, totaling $2,100, less than 5% of the total.

Most of this ‘parent’ PAC money came from two sources: San Francisco billionaire Michelle Boyers and the “Champions for Quality Education,” a PAC run by two long-time charter industry advocates in Oakland, Kimi Kean and Hae-Sin Thomas.

Besides charter advocates, the Champions PAC was funded by real estate developers and crypto executives and was active in the 2024 District 3 election. These two contributions totaled $37,120 and, together with a $5,000 contribution from former Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf’s failed state treasurer campaign, make up 92% of the total contributions received by this PAC.

Candidates running against the incumbents and supported by the Champions PAC favor closing more schools in Oakland, claiming in public meetings that this is the only way to balance the budget permanently. However, they have provided no evidence that school closings over the past 20 years have strengthened OUSD’s financial position or improved educational and budget conditions in other districts that have gone that route.

The current school board majority, including the incumbents in District 2, Jennifer Brouhard, and District 6, Valarie Bachelor, strongly oppose school closings.

Importantly, while many advocates of reducing the number of schools maintain that closing more schools is the road to fiscal health, almost as an article of faith, they do not examine nor even mention the consequences that follow as a result of the many schools that OUSD has already closed over the years.

To name only a few, Oakland has lost Roots International Academy, an East Oakland middle school that was closed over broad community opposition in 2019; Lakeview Elementary School near Lake Merritt, which, despite protests, was closed in 2012; and Santa Fe Elementary in West Oakland, also closed in 2012.

Several Oakland parents have expressed concerns over the new Champions PAC and the misleading name it gave itself.

“It’s pretty disheartening to see a PAC branding itself as ‘parent-led’ when over 95% of its funding came from wealthy non-parent donors and charter-aligned PACs — before most Oakland parents even had a chance to weigh in,” said Journey Meadows.

“Our schools deserve advocates who reflect our community and truly care about our children, not a well-funded campaign to reshape the board from the outside,” she said.

Stefanie Parrott also had harsh words for PACs that push to close schools.

“It is upsetting and insulting when a parent group lobbies for the closure of someone else’s schools, especially without ever engaging actual families of the schools they want to close and without a true understanding of, or with a cruel indifference to, the devastation school closures have on poor Black and Brown communities,” she said.

“This is especially true when the parent group is funded by outside interests like charter industry leaders and out-of-town billionaires,” she continued.

“Instead of dismissing the impacted students and families, they might actually talk to us in West and East Oakland before their ‘advocacy’ harms our communities. I am an OUSD parent, and they don’t speak for me,” Parrott said.

By Gwen McKinney

For much of her childhood, Rosalyn Coates endured severe asthma. Confined to limited physical activity, she had to swap galloping with neighborhood kids for a seat on the porch.

But never alone, Coates, called “Roz” by friends, always invited her trusty companion: a good book. “All I could do is sit my buns still and read.”

So began the literary journey for Coates, 71, a retired attorney and **Oracle Set Book Club** member who helped incorporate the group’s nonprofit foundation, which has awarded annual scholarships to Washington, D.C., school students since 1999.

Touted as the oldest continuously operating Black women’s literary circle in Washington, D.C., Oracle Set was launched in 1966 by Claudette Franklin, a passionate literacy advocate who assembled the original 15 members and remained active until her death in 1996. Two founding members, Bernadette Derr and Maggalean Westin, remain active six decades later.

Today, members range in age from mid-30s to 80 and are capped at 18 members. Like most Black women reading circles, they traverse genres and hold rotating meetings at members’ homes, with good food and fellowship always on the menu.

A slice of joy and community, Oracle Set inspires self-determination, says Coates. “More than coming together to read, we affirm who we are through _what_ we read. We don’t wait for _The New York Times_ best sellers list to tell us what to choose. Our group opens us, not just to reading, but to the world that books inhabit.”

That same premise — radical and pioneering for their time — was embraced by one of the first recorded Black women’s reading groups. **The Female Literary Association**, founded by educator **Sara Mapps Douglas** in 1831, was based in Philadelphia and composed of “free” literate Black women.

Mostly leaders in the anti-slavery and suffrage movements, they were avid readers, writers and activists. They shared their own essays with the reading circle and delved into scripture, poetry and abolitionist journals. As the 19th century progressed into post-slavery emancipation, mutual aid for southern sisters and their kin was a hallmark activity of these literary circles, often called women’s clubs. Black women’s literary clubs would blossom over the decades that followed, taking root in Detroit, New York, Pittsburgh, Indianapolis and Washington, D.C.

Kathy Freeman says those bold intentions of ancestors dating back two centuries remain in our bones. Leader of A Gathering of Women Readers in Philadelphia, she says Black women have instinctively embraced the causes of family, community and the world.

“For women who look like me, book clubs are built upon collective actions. While everyone isn’t left-leaning, we are all humanists.”

Black women’s literary circles rebuke patriarchy, Freeman asserts. “Though we are the backbone of every movement we support – the church, civil rights, Black liberation – we usually go unrecognized. But in our book clubs everyone has a voice.”

Freeman’s group has supported medical drives for Cuba, clothing drives for Senegal, local book drives and summer camp for the city’s unhoused population. They host guest speakers from Philly and beyond. One, a few years before the assaults in Gaza, was Palestinian-American activist/author Susan Abulhawa.

Freeman, 69, a “happily retired” program analyst for the Philadelphia Health Department, started the reading group eight years ago. They gather quarterly, 13 strong, with two books for discussion and always open with wellness check-ins.

Most active in-person clubs skew older. However, the mix is intergenerational and convened online, by sororities, churches, social clubs and even celebrities (Oprah Book Club).

Monique Greenwood, Co-founder of**Go On Girl Book Club** (GOGBC), points to the sense of belonging that book clubs invoke. She remembers 1991, when her two friends, Tracy Mitchell-Brown and Lynda Johnson, were engrossed in chats about a book they were both coincidentally reading, _No Easy Place to Be,_ a debut novel by Steven Corbin about the Harlem Renaissance.

“I was feeling very left out…and wanted to be part of what seemed like a really important fellowship.” From there, the trio planted the seeds of Go On Girl Book Club.

Greenwood, 67, former editor-in-chief of _Essence_ and now owner of Akwaaba Bed and Breakfast Inns, anchored the first group in New York City. “We were casually structured, guided by some important criteria. Our membership was capped at 12 to coincide with the months we would meet.”

“Reading and reflection of the books served merely as a jumping-off point to share and exchange ideas; to hear each other’s voices,” Greenwood offered.

As members relocated, some carried the model with them, starting new chapters in other cities. Today, one of the nation’s largest in-person literary circles, Go On Girl claims 51 chapters and more than 500 members across the country. They hold an annual conference, distribute merchandise, and in 1999, wrote the book on book clubs.

The _Go On Girl! Book Club Guide for Reading Groups_, authored by the three founders, is a roadmap for starting, structuring and sustaining a successful literary circle, featuring reading lists, author chats and discussion questions.

Joyce Ferguson-Fleming and her D.C.-based Sister Girls Book Club recently celebrated their 25th anniversary. Ferguson-Fleming, 77, a voracious lifelong reader, was filling a void left by her daughter’s departure for college. She was not necessarily looking for new friends, but instead was mission-driven to assemble like-minded Black women.

“The goal was simple — a book club where everyone was invested in reading.  We didn’t come together as best friends, but as book lovers.”

Founder Ferguson-Fleming was joined for an interview with original members Lisa Griffith and Shelly Jackson.

Griffith, 71, said the idea of a book club was kicked around for at least two years. “One day Joyce set a date and time, and we started with eight members.” Over the 25 years, members have come and gone, but most have been with the book club for 15 years or more.

Said Jackson, “Joyce actually used our workplace — the DC Municipal Court — as her recruitment ground.”  Jackson, 64, a probation officer, said members included attorneys, administrators, clerks, and social workers. “We were all open to wide genres and themes, different perspectives, honest discussions. … No one judging you.”

“We feed each other,” adds Griffith, a retired court reporter.  “We lay out food, ideas, and nourish each other emotionally and spiritually…We go places I wouldn’t go on my own. Through Sister Girls, I am exposed.”

Over the decades they’ve enjoyed field trips, celebrated milestone birthdays, mourned the passing of members’ loved ones and cheered the birth of grandbabies. “We’ve grown from a reading circle to a sisterhood,” confides Ferguson-Fleming.

The legions of Black women book club members tell a bigger story in data released by Pew Research Center in 2014 exploring reading habits of Americans. Pew found that women across races and socioeconomic statuses read considerably more than their male counterparts. But Black women, especially college-educated, read the most, surpassing _all_ demographic groups in consumption of every book format — bound, audiobooks and e-books.

Curtis Bunn, a retired journalist and author of 14 books, attests to the Pew findings. “Black women absorb passion more than any other demographic group.”

Even before his 1999 debut novel _Baggage Check_ hit #1 on the _Essence_ Book List, Bunn embraced the word-of-mouth magic of Black women readers and embarked on speaking tours to book clubs across the country. “I always left those book clubs feeling uplifted. It was like going to church,” recalls Bunn, 65. “You get feedback that makes you a better writer.”

That feeling of being “immersed in a sustained happy hour” convinced Bunn to launch **The National Book Club Conference** in 2003. Nicknamed “Literary Bliss Weekend,” he marked the 22nd anniversary this year. Held in Atlanta and attended by some 400 primarily Black women (95%), conferees pay $350 for a series of general sessions, an awards event and breakout workshops attended by prominent authors and public luminaries.

“During the first conference I was in tears most of the weekend,” Bunn remembers. “The camaraderie, energy and joy made everyone feel they were where they were supposed to be. It’s more than meeting the author and other book club members. It’s an immersive experience!”

As technology changed how readers connect, Black women’s literary communities expanded beyond in-person living rooms. Glory Edim, 44, targeted a massive online community, appealing to younger Black women with **Well-Read Black Girl** in 2015. The online platform and book club, fueled by social media, claims more than 400,000 followers dedicated to celebrating the works of Black women authors. Well-Read also sponsors local in-person chapters across the country., hosting book festivals, a podcast and author conversations.

An _Essence_ article about Well-Read Black Girl inspired Kodee Brown, 35, to start a group in Greenville, South Carolina, in 2019. Working with an independent bookstore as the bookseller and venue host, Brown put out the call for members. Surprisingly, many showed up, including several White women.

“Our invitation emphasized everyone was welcome. but we were clear our focus was on Black women authors and the Black experience,” explains Brown. “Some of the White women came genuinely to connect as allies, others out of curiosity.”

Eventually, when membership was capped at 15, about three White women remained. At times, Brown believed the racial mix made conversations challenging and members often censored themselves. During her facilitation of the group, she worked hard to create a safe space.

The Greenville group, composed mostly of Black women, continues. After two years in leadership, Brown relocated to Charleston and stepped down, responding to the busy demands of her nursing career,  an advanced degree and eventually motherhood.

Now the mom of 4-year-old twins, Brown says she has passed on the passion for books to her girls. “From the time they were infants, we read to them. They could read before they could walk.”

“The book club was a time of joy,” Brown recalls. “I gained friends who have remained steadfast to this day. In those book groups we could hear each other.”

Being seen and heard is Marcie Thomas’ preoccupation. Founder of the**Brown Girl Collective**(BGC), she sponsors virtual book clubs, wellness sessions and author chats, a path that began in 2009, first focusing on research about Black women who were often ignored and invisible.

The pandemic accelerated the possibilities of virtual gathering, allowing literary communities to reach women well beyond their immediate neighborhoods. And Thomas, 59, saw an opportunity to stoke her passion for reading.

“Because I’ve always enjoyed reading, it spurred me to start a virtual book club.”

With Black women readers top of mind, Thomas has targeted nonfiction authors, novelists, poets, filmmakers and other content producers. What began as a monthly virtual event in 2020 has expanded to twice a week, featuring the Monday book club and Wednesday _Live Well Sister_. “No matter how old we are,” says Thomas, “there’s a little brown girl that lives within all of us.”

Across nearly two centuries, Black women have gathered in parlors and living rooms, from bookstores, conference halls and digital screens. The books bring them into the space. What they build together keeps them coming back.