Inclusive Clubs Inspire Belonging
Stories have the power to cross divides and cultivate understanding, and inclusive book clubs are proving to be powerful tools for building community and advancing equity. From prisons to college campuses, they can connect diverse groups, foster dialogue about challenging topics, and create safe spaces where every voice matters. Across the country, colleges and universities are embracing this model to champion inclusive excellence.
At Saint Joseph’s University (SJU), the SJU Libraries Book Club exemplifies this spirit by partnering with the university’s Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program, a collaboration that brings incarcerated individuals and SJU students together as peers. This dynamic program offers a transformative educational experience, exploring issues of crime and justice while examining writings by incarcerated individuals from diverse eras and cultures.
A recent event sponsored by the club centered on Lara Love Hardin’s “The Many Lives of Mama Love,” which featured a discussion and a panel of community members sharing personal stories about reentry into society after incarceration. This initiative reflects a commitment to bridging divides and amplifying the voices of those impacted by the criminal justice system. Other selections, such as Sonya Renee Taylor’s “The Body Is Not an Apology” and James McBride’s “The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store,” emphasize themes of equity, self-acceptance, and the resilience of marginalized communities.
The Stevens Institute of Technology (SIT) Samuel C. Williams Library also harnesses the power of book groups to spark meaningful change. For the past five summers, the Anti-Racism Book Club has brought students, faculty, and staff together to explore literature that addresses systemic racism and the need for inclusion. Using a Brave Space model—a method of discussing difficult topics that engages vulnerability, perspective, fear, intentions, and mindfulness meant to build on the term “safe space”— participants delve into works like “Teaching to Transgress” by bell hooks and “So You Want to Talk About Race” by Ijeoma Oluo.
The program, spearheaded by the library in collaboration with the Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, encourages open dialogue and critical thinking. More than just a reading group, it’s an opportunity to foster relationships between people in varying campus roles, creating a supportive network committed to advancing equity.
Meanwhile, Virginia Tech University Libraries celebrates linguistic and cultural diversity through the Comunidad Book Club, a Spanish-language group launched in 2020. Designed to unite native Spanish speakers and language learners, the club collaborates with organizations like REFORMA, an advocacy organization for Latino library access, inclusion, and bilingual professionals, and El Centro, Virginia Tech’s on-campus hub for Latino culture, community, and support.
Comunidad provides a space for cultural exchange and communitybuilding through discussions of Spanish literature, including Claudia Piñeiro’s “El Tiempo de las Moscas” and Gabriel García Márquez’s “En Agosto Nos Vemos.” In 2023, a partnership with Casa Latina, a nonprofit supporting Spanish-speaking residents through education, cultural activities, and connection to vital services, expanded the initiative to include new clubs in the Roanoke area, broadening its reach and strengthening connections within the Latino community across Virginia.
These book clubs serve as more than just gatherings to discuss literature; they are platforms for social change. They inspire empathy by encouraging participants to step into others’ shoes, confront biases, and imagine new possibilities for justice and equity. By connecting incarcerated individuals with university students, sparking conversations about antiracism, or fostering cultural pride and learning, these groups show the power of using shared stories to unite people across divides.
Universities like SJU, SIT, and Virginia Tech are proving that the simple act of reading together can drive profound transformation, nurturing inclusive communities that celebrate diverse perspectives and foster deeper understanding.
