Avery Messenger Podcast E4 Book Clubs and Banned Books

Описание: Book clubs and banned books are shaping how communities read, learn, and push back against censorship—especially when reading becomes a shared, collective practice.
In this episode of Avery Messenger, hosts Georgette Mayo and D’Aujai Kelly explore the legacy and impact of Black-led reading communities, from Charleston’s longstanding Phillis Wheatley Literary and Social Club archives to the Dr. Consuela Francis Reading Circle and its 10-year milestone.
You’ll also hear from OlaRonke Akinmowo, founder/director of the Free Black Women’s Library in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, and George M. Johnson, award-winning author of All Boys Aren’t Blue, on why storytelling matters—and what it takes to resist book bans and censorship.
Links From Podcast:
Avery Research Center for African American History and Culture website: https://avery.charleston.edu
Last Call for Proposals: “Those Who Have, Must Turn Around and Give:” Celebrating 40 Years of Preserving Black History and Education,” https://avery.charleston.edu/cfp_aver...
AMN 1031: Phillis Wheatley Literary and Social Club records on the Lowcountry Digital Library: https://lcdl.library.cofc.edu/content...
Dr. Conseula Francis Reading Circle: Red Island House with author Andrea Lee: YouTube link:    • Dr. Conseula Francis Reading Circle Discus...  
Article from the National Endowment for the Arts: “Federal Date on Reading for Pleasure: All Signs Show a Slump” by Sunil Iyengar.
OlaRonke Akinmowo and The Free Black Women’s Library: https://www.thefreeblackwomenslibrary...
Charleston City Paper article: “Activists say book bans infringe on free speech,” by Maura Hogan. Dated 3 October 2025. https://charlestoncitypaper.com/2025/...
George M. Johnson website: https://iamgmjohnson.com



Time Stamps / Chapters:

00:56 Why book clubs matter: community + critical thinking
01:46 Phillis Wheatley Literary & Social Club (Avery archives)
03:30 Dr. Consuela Francis Reading Circle: origins + 10-year milestone
06:08 Zoom era: expanded reach + author conversations
08:18 Interview begins: OlaRonke Akinmowo + Free Black Women’s Library
14:04 From traveling library to storefront (5,000+ books)
18:08 Mutual aid in action: period pantry, free store, garden + care
22:53 Censorship + banned books: why cultural production matters
26:58 “Pretty Little Brick”: Black women writers collective + limited edition
34:08 George M. Johnson intro: All Boys Aren’t Blue + banned books context
36:03 Writing origins + Toni Morrison influence
41:22 Writing as liberation + chosen family + supporting youth
48:13 Book bans reality: activism, ideology, and impact
59:45 Subverting censorship: gifting books + “resource center” strategy
01:02:49 Announcements + acknowledgments + upcoming episodes