The Stand
A book club is forming at Beauchamp Branch Library for black adolescent girls to discuss online street literature.
The book club will run for 12 weeks starting the first week in September, and four street literature texts will be read. The book club will meet both online as well as face-to-face. The group is open to black adolescent girls between the ages of 12 to 17.
The Dark Girls Project is designed to provide an out of school space for black adolescent girls to discuss street literature, a genre of texts that often times isn’t found on school reading lists or in school libraries. Street literature texts were originally written for adults, however there is a growing young adult population that enjoys the genre as well.
Books will include “Push” by Sapphire, “The Coldest Winter Ever” by Sister Souljah, “Flyy Girl” by Omar Tyree and “Project Girl” by Janet McDonald.
The goal of the Dark Girls Project is to explore the following: 1.) What it means to be a black girl in the 21st Century, 2.) How black adolescent girls use street literature to develop their identities and 3.) How black adolescent girls use digital tools such as Facebook to develop their identities.
Historically, black girls and black women have been disregarded and others have attempted to define us and tell stories of our lived experiences. The Dark Girls Project places black adolescent girls at the center and creates a safe space for them to tell their own stories on their own terms.
To participate, contact Ms. Delicia at darkgirlsbookclub@yahoo.com or call Beauchamp Branch Library at (315) 435-3395.
