Events › The Black Studies Collective Community Reading and Discussion Series

The West Oakland Branch Library is proud to announce that we have been awarded a UC Berkeley Department of African American Studies & African Diaspora Studies “In Defense of Black Studies” Grant to launch a new reading and discussion series this winter.

Grounded in the book Our History Has Always Been Contraband: In Defense of Black Studies, an anthology of writing by Black scholars and activists, this series invites community members to reflect on how the ideas and traditions of Black Studies continue to shape our communities, histories, and everyday lives.

Registration is open. Interested participants can sign up in person and pick up a reading packet that will be discussed at the orientation and discussion meeting.

The Orientation and Discussion of these initial essays will take place on Tuesday, December 2, 6-7:15 PM. The four-part discussion series will then continue on the first Tuesday of each month, January through April 2026, from 6:00–7:15 PM.

Spaces are limited to available book copies that will be distributed at orientation, but anyone who has their own copy is welcome to join (you still need to register). Because this is a small, discussion-based group that builds on itself, participants are encouraged to attend at least 3 of the 4 sessions.

Join us as we continue West Oakland’s legacy of collective learning and cultural engagement, celebrating the ongoing importance of Black Studies as a living, community-centered tradition.

Location: West Oakland Branch Library
Orientation Date: December 2, 2025
Monthly Meetings: First Tuesdays, January–April 2026 | 6:00–7:15 PM