ABHM Book Club presents: Enslaved, Indentured, Free by Mary Elise Antoine

Enslaved, Indentured, Free promo image

We will be reading Enslaved, Indentured, Free: Five Black Women on the Upper Mississippi, 1800-1850 by Mary Elise Antoine, and discussing it virtually. This book narrates the stories of four Black women—Mariah, Patsey, Courtney, and Rachel—who were born into slavery and achieved freedom in Prairie du Chien. Each woman’s journey intertwined over five years, influenced by Marianne Labuche, a free Black woman. Mariah bought her freedom, while Patsey persisted after her enslavers died. Courtney and Rachel successfully filed freedom suits, shedding light on Wisconsin’s overlooked history of slavery.

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ABHM Book Club Presents: Risking Everything by Micheal Edmonds

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Join us on October 24th at 6 PM via Zoom for a virtual discussion of Risking Everything: A Freedom Summer Reader by Michael Edmonds. This anthology, featuring 44 original documents from the 1964 Mississippi Freedom Summer Project, offers a gripping look at the courage and struggle of activists and black Mississippians fighting against racial oppression. Discover firsthand accounts of their bravery and the harsh realities they faced, many of which are published here for the first time.

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ABHM Book Club Presents: Caste by Isabel Wilkerson

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Explore Isabel Wilkerson’s eye-opening examination, “Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents,” revealing how deeply entrenched caste systems shape societies globally. With profound insights and compelling narratives, Wilkerson challenges readers to confront systemic inequities and envision a future rooted in justice and equality.

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ABHM Book Club Presents: A Lynching in the Heartland by James H. Madison

A Lynching In the Heartland book

Explore with ABHM James H. Madison’s ‘A Lynching in the Heartland,’ a profound narrative unraveling the 1930 Marion, Indiana, lynching of Thomas Shipp and Abram Smith. Through meticulous research, Madison examines the lasting impact of racial violence, challenging readers to confront America’s complex history of injustice and resilience.

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ABHM Book Club: On Juneteenth by Annette Gordon-Reed

On Juneteenth book cover

We will be reading On Juneteenth by Annette Gordon-Reed and discussing it virtually on June 20th at 6 PM via Zoom. Annette Gordon-Reed’s ‘On Juneteenth’ brilliantly reimagines American history, intertwining personal narratives and historical facts to reveal the profound impact of Black Americans on the Lone Star State, culminating in the pivotal moment of June 19, 1865, and reminding us of the ongoing struggle for equality.

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ABHM Book Club: Blues Legacies and Black Feminism by Angela Y Davis

We will be reading Blues Legacies and Black Feminism by Angela Y Davis and discussing it virtually on May 23rd at 6 PM via Zoom. The blues tradition through a feminist lens. Explore the careers of Black women singers Rainey, Smith, and Holiday. Their boldness challenged mainstream norms, shaping American social memory.

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ABHM Book Club presents The Water Dancer By Ta-Nehisi Coates

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ABHM will be reading The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates and discussing it virtually on March 21st. In this gripping tale by the acclaimed Coates, the protagonist Hiram Walker, born into slavery, discovers a mysterious power after a near-death experience. Determined to escape bondage and liberate his family, he navigates the covert battlegrounds of slavery, fueled by love and resilience, in a poignant story of defiance and courage.

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ABHM Book Club: Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler

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In the year 2024, the country is marred by unattended environmental and economic crises that lead to social chaos. Lauren Olamina, a preacher’s daughter living in Los Angeles, is protected from danger by the walls of her gated community. However, in a night of fire and death, what begins as a fight for survival soon leads to something much more: a startling vision of human destiny . . . and the birth of a new faith.
2021 Hugo Award Winner for Best Graphic Story or Comic.

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