Black Women In Study is an ongoing political reading practice for Black women who want to stay awake to the world around us, stay rooted in ourselves & one another, and deepen our understanding of the forces shaping our lives.This is a space for studying power together.Together we sit with books that help us see more clearly, books that invite us to grapple with capitalism, heteropatriarchy, empire, and all of the conditions shaping our collective lives.We read not to escape what we are living inside of, but to understand it more clearly. To steady ourselves, to sharpen our perception, and to remember that clarity, too, is a form of care & protection.This is a space for grounding, conversation, and a kind of clarity that comes when Black women gather, think, question, and wrestle with ideas together.Welcome.
WHAT WE STUDY
The books we select draw from Black thinkers, writers, and traditions of political thought across the diaspora, as well as other voices that help illuminate the systems we are living inside of.These are not light or casual reads. They ask something of us.They ask us to look directly at the structures and systems that organize our lives and the social relations that shape how we live with one another.They invite us to question what has been normalized, to examine the conditions we are living inside of, and to think critically about the worlds we are inheriting and the worlds we are helping to shape.
HOW WE STUDY
Each month, we gather around one book.Throughout the month, participants can meet in our online study space, a place for reflection, shared language-building, questions, and conversation as we move through the text together.At the end of the month, we gather virtually to sit with what the book opens for us — what it illuminates, unsettles, clarifies, or complicates.You can enter the practice in whatever way feels right for you:• reading quietly on your own
• joining the study space
• gathering with us at the end of the month
• or moving between all threeThis practice is offered at no cost. It's an offering of care and commitment to Black women.
Who This Space Is For
Black Women In Study centers women of the African diaspora. When we say Black women, we include cis and trans Black women, as well as Black femmes who recognize themselves in this invitation.The practice is organized from the United States and is shaped by political traditions that grow from this context, including Black feminist thought and traditions of studying racial capitalism and power. Black women across the diaspora who recognize themselves in this orientation are welcome here.
STEWARDING THIS PRACTICE
Black Women In Study is created and stewarded by Toi Smith.The practice grows out of my own commitment to political study, Black liberation, and my desire to be in deeper conversation with other Black women who feel the pull toward understanding the systems shaping our lives.Black Women In Study is my offering of a shared space for reading, questioning, and thinking together.
STUDY WITH US
There are two ways to participate in Black Women In Study.
Option 1: Read AlongYou can read independently alongside the practice.Sign up below and you’ll receive the books we’re reading each month. You’re welcome to read quietly on your own or with beloved friends as we move through the texts together.
Option 2: Attend Orientation To Join The Study CommunityIf you’d like to go deeper and connect with the Black Women In Study community through our online gathering space and monthly virtual book discussions, the first step is to attend a virtual orientation (via Zoom).Orientation allows us to introduce the purpose of the practice, share our community agreements, and enter the space together with care.Those who attend orientation receive access to:
• The online community study space
• Our monthly virtual book discussionsUpcoming Orientation Dates
Saturday, April 18th, 3-4 PM EST
Saturday, August 8th, 3-4 PM EST
Sign up below to join Black Women In Study.Add your name below to receive:- The monthly book selections
- Invitations to upcoming orientations
- BWIS updatesWe can't wait to study with you!
Questions?Reach Out Here: [email protected]
Thank you for joining Black Women In Study!A welcome email with more information is on its way to your inbox right now. We're so happy to have you!