Book Club (Antiracism Group)

The Center’s Antiracism Group is the brainchild of Terri Mork Speirs, former Director of Community Relations at the Center. Sparked by the murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor in 2020, Speirs issued an antiracism statement of solidarity with the Black community on the Center’s website home page. 

Through a series of synchronicities, she and Billie Wade partnered to create the group. Speirs’s courageous action and the Center’s commitment to supporting the Black community are significant beacons for other individuals and organizations. 

Facilitator: Billie Wade 

Mondays, 6:00-7:30 p.m. Virtual via Zoom 

Weekly, October 21 through November 18, 2024

Cost: FREE, however, each participant is responsible for getting a copy of the book on
their own, whether audiobook, purchase, or public library.

Registration is required for security purposes.

Contact Billie Wade at billiewadewriter@gmail.com. Include your name, email address,
and telephone number. In the Subject line, enter Antiracism Group Registration. You
will then be added to the email list to receive the Zoom link and other information. Your
name and contact information will not be shared with anyone. Announcements and
information are emailed using blind carbon. Note: Do not share the Zoom link with
anyone. Persons whose names are not on the email list will not be granted admittance. People who have registered in the past and are already on the email list do not need to re-register.

Discussion:

Book: “The Other Black Girl, A Novel” by Zakiya Dalila Harris

“Twenty-six-year-old editorial assistant Nella Rogers is tired of being the only Black employee at Wagner Books. Fed up with the isolation and microaggressions, she’s thrilled when Harlem-born and bred Hazel starts working in the cubicle beside hers. They’ve only just started comparing natural hair care regimens, though, when a string of uncomfortable events elevates Hazel to Office Darling, and Nella is left in the dust.

Then the notes begin to appear on Nella’s desk: LEAVE WAGNER. NOW.”

Where can you find the book?

Available at Beaverdale Books in Urbandale, Iowa. You will receive a 10% discount if you tell them you are a part of Billie Wade’s antiracism group. If they are out of copies, they can order it for you and have it within a few days.

Also available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Thriftbooks


We discuss books in five to six-week segments. Our discussions are popcorn
style. There is a 2-3 week interval between books. We also discuss
relevant articles, podcasts, videos, movies, and documentaries; some directly
related to the book we are reading. Participants are encouraged to suggest
books or other reading materials and topics.

There is no homework or other expectations at the Center’s Antiracism Group. All are welcome.

Please note: We are taking a holiday break and we will begin our next book on Monday, January 6, 2025. More information to follow.