June 30, Even As We Breath by Annette Saunooke Clapsaddle

Annette Saunooke Clapsaddle is the first enrolled member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians to publish a novel. Even As We Breathe is a historical novel that tells the story of a young Cherokee man who leaves home to work at a resort hotel in the Blue Ridge Mountains during WWII. Unfortunately, shortly after his arrival he finds himself entangled in a fight to prove his innocence for a crime he didn’t commit. Not only does Clapsaddle tell a darn good story, but she does so in a way that feels conversational and intimate. Needless to say, it’s an immensely enjoyable read. Moderated by Cherryl Holt, cherrylcholt@gmail.com

Moderated by Cherryl Holt

Once again Grace Episcopal Church, Oak Park will present a summer book group. The theme this summer is “Voices from the Margins.” The five books cover LGLBTQ+, Hispanic, Native American, Black and Multi cultural voices. All books are in the Oak Park Library, in the Book Club Section of the library. 7:00 pm. 

July 21, James, by Percival Everett. 

James is a slave who ran away to keep from being sold. He wants to find a way to free his family. A young Huckelberry “Huck” Finn joins James in his journey to freedom.

Moderated by Eleanor Welch

August 11, A King Like Me, is a film that documents the profound cultural impact of a Mardi Gras Krewe, the Zulu Social Aid & Pleasure Club, started by a group of Black men at the height of the oppressive segregation of New Orleans. The Zulu Krewe grew it into a renowned premier Mardi Gras event. Zulu also has been a profound social advocacy group for Black people for over a century Moderated by Karen-Jo Mensch.