OAKLAND COUNTY, Michigan – In celebration of Black History Month, Oakland Community College (OCC) is inviting students, staff, faculty, and the public to take part in a four-day read-in to explore books by African-American authors.
Read-ins will take place on:
- Monday, Feb. 5, 12:00pm – 1:30pm, OCC Auburn Hills Campus, Library, Room D-206
- Tuesday, Feb. 6, 10:00am – 1:00pm, OCC Highland Lakes Campus (Waterford), Library, Woodland Hall
- Wednesday, Feb. 7, 11:00am – 1:00pm, OCC Orchard Ridge Campus (Farmington Hills), Library, Room K-200
- Tuesday, Feb. 13, 11:30am – 12:30pm, OCC Royal Oak Campus, in the Atrium
"The African American Read-In is a beautiful way to foster a sense of community through the love of reading and the celebration of Black History Month," said Nadja Springer-Ali, OCC Library Faculty, Orchard Ridge Campus.
OCC librarians will kick off each session with excerpts from the 2017 Great Michigan Read, X: A Novel, by Ilyasha Shabazz. They will then turn things over to participants and volunteer readers to introduce their selections and read aloud.
Not sure what you'd like to read? Librarians will offer a wide selection of books for browsing, including fiction, picture books, young adult fiction, plays, non-fiction, and poetry. For more information about the Great Michigan Read, a biennial statewide literary program focusing on humanities themes, visit the Michigan Humanities website.
Popular past titles include:
- Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
- The Blacker the Berry by Joyce Carol Thomas and Floyd Cooper
- The Piano Lesson by August Wilson
- The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration by Isabel Wilkerson
The African American Read-In was started in 1990 by the Black Caucus of the National Council of Teachers of English. The event spotlights the literary contributions made by African American writers and ensures that literacy is a major focus of Black History month. The event is also a reminder that there was a time when slaves were prohibited from learning how to read and write and this serves as a tribute to those individuals." The African American Read-In is proudly sponsored by the OCC Libraries and the College Committee for Diversity and Inclusion. This is the eighth year that OCC has participated in this national event. For more information, visit the National African American Read In Information page.
About OCC - With multi campus system throughout Oakland County, OCC offers degrees and certificates in approximately 100 career fields as well as university transfer degrees in business, science and liberal arts. The College provides academic and developmental experiences allowing each student to reach their full potential and enhance the communities they serve. More than 45,000 students annually attend OCC; more than a million students have enrolled in the College since it opened in 1965. Learn more at oaklandcc.edu.
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