Our Story

During the recent events of 2020, several things took place that highlighted the disparate impacts of structural inequities on black people in the United States. The Covid pandemic revealed the inequities in our health care system, educational system, housing and the job market. The high profile murders of Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and George Floyd revealed to the entire world the inequities in our justice and legal systems. The unwarranted and unlawful attacks on the votes of black communities across the U.S. showcased the inequities in our political system as well as civil society.

It became apparent that everyone must do their part to improve the outcomes of black people. Inspired by the idea that we must look to ourselves, to save ourselves, an idea was born. During this time, a lot of expressions of being tired, frustrated, angry and hurt were being shared all over social media and in direct conversations. Some of the frustration came from isolation, a lack of connection to our history, culture and traditions. This disconnect robs one of the richness, strength and beauty that is ours to claim. Most of us have a shallow knowledge of our past, and our past is greater than our time in America.

Deciding that we needed to do our part to address this, we came together and decided we would create a book club for black girls. We the founders of this book club, are sisters who were raised by two educators and a minister. Growing up in a household that valued education and reading, we understood the value in being independent readers and thinkers. We also learned that being educated went beyond the classroom.

The focus of this book club will be on black history, culture and traditions. In addition to books, we will point our members to other platforms that showcase our rich heritage. The goal is to also move it forward from a historical perspective into our contemporaneous time, with an eye toward the future.

Girls in grades K - 12 are invited to join the Black Swallowtails Book Club, as they transition from young girls to young women.