The Self must create its own reason for being.

The Free Black Women's Library News/June 2024

Portrait of Octavia Butler in Central Park, New York. | Photo by Miriam Berkley

“You got to make your own worlds, you got to write yourself in.”
- Octavia E. Butler

Hello friends!!
Happy Friday, Happy First Day of Summer, Happy Pride, Happy Juneteenth, Happy Octavia E. Butler weekend!!
I hope you are feeling safe, healthy and loved!!
Feel free to join us at the library this weekend for some sweet and wonderful gatherings that center liberation, growth, and change.
Check out the June 2024 calendar below to see what we are up to and make sure to register at the coordinating links to attend.

Saturday: The Black Banjo Reclamation Project is a lovely collective of Black banjo players who meet monthly at The Free Black Women’s Library to play together.
They invite other Black banjo players to join them for an old fashioned picking session which offers folks a chance to practice and learn. All levels of experience are welcome. This sessions starts at 1p, bring your banjo and come play!!
No registration necessary.
From 3 to 5 you are welcome to get your green thumb on in our backyard garden. We will weed, harvest and plant seeds of hope and healing for the summer season. Be prepared to get dirty!!
We are also giving away copies of The 1619 Project by Nikole Hannah-Jones in honor of Juneteenth throughout the day, come get yours, - while supplies last.

Sunday: We celebrate the birthday of our foremother and spiritual guide Octavia Butler with a writing workshop on world building inspired by her first published short story, Speech Sounds. All open minded big thinking scribes are welcome to explore the art of plotting and conjuring new worlds and their presence in them via the written word.

Thursday: Slide through for Come Play With Me, a fun light hearted social event for grown folks to connect and find love, friendship and community outside of social media and dating apps, this is our QUEER edition, and thee perfect place to pre-game for all of NYC’s iconic Pride weekend antics!!

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SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS!!

IN RESPONSE: Ekphrastic Explorations is back!!
These are monthly creative sessions grounded in ekphrasis led by yours truly over Zoom.
Join me in writing and creating new works in response to the art, film & music of Black women specifically.
I had a great time leading these sessions last year and I am so excited to bring this series back!!
We will meet on the first Monday of each month at 7PM Est. from July to December to nurture and support each other’s creative practice. All mediums are welcome.
The theme of this six month block is - BLACK ODDITIES.
Access these sessions (and other soft perks) by becoming a TFBWL patron at Patreon.com/TFBWL.

The Free Black Women’s Library seeks sponsors!!
We are celebrating our TEN YEAR anniversary on August 24 and are looking for organizations, businesses and collectives to sponsor and/or collaborate with us on this special occasion. Volunteering or simply helping us spread the word!! Please help me in making this celebration as iconic as it should be!!
For a solid decade The Free Black Women’s Library has been consistently and carefully building community via Black women’s literature!! How cool is that?!?
For more information and further details on how to support our upcoming birthday, please contact me via our website.

To tip me for my work, you can buy me a boba or three.

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PRESS PRESS PRESS!!
We got some great coverage on Scripps News recently!! Check out the article and video below and let me know what you think!!
This independent library champions banned books by Black women

Please make sure to follow us on Instagram to stay up to date with all the awesome events we have coming up, including a personal essay writing workshop series with Morgan Jerkins, a book launch with Eloghosa Osunde, self defense classes with Dragon Combat Club, and workshops in herbalism, incense making, bee keeping and so much more!!

Thank you all so much for your encouragement and appreciation for this work!!
Wishing you a sweet and lovely weekend!!
Sincerely,
Ola

The Free Black Women’s Library is a literary hub, social site, reading room, creative archive, and community care space. All ages, races, and genders are welcome to read, write, co-work, and rest in this space. This social art project features a collection of over 5000 books, a wide array of workshops and free public programs, a Free Store, a Period Pantry, a virtual Reading Club, a backyard garden, and a weekly book swap. We are located at 226 Marcus Garvey Blvd, Brooklyn, NYC, and are currently open on Wednesdays & Thursdays from 1 to 5 pm and Saturdays & Sundays from 1 to 6 pm.

We ask that folks wear masks while inside our space as well as wash their hands or use hand sanitizer upon entry.

SUPPORT OUR WORK!!