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Join the Center for Humanities & the Arts (CHA) for thought-provoking discussions on Coates’ latest work!

"The Message" by Ta-Nehisi Coates

the Book Club

The CHA, along with our co-sponsors, will host a book club to discuss , in which Ta-Nehisi Coates discusses traveling to Senegal and ruminates on the African diaspora (Ch. 1), visits a teacher in South Carolina who is being challenged for assigning Coates’s book (Ch. 2), and attends the Palestine Festival of Literature, where his previous understanding of Israel and Palestine is transformed (Ch. 3).

• Book Club Dates: January 17 - January 31, 2025
• Location: In-person and Zoom meetings
• Last day to sign up is Thursday, January 16.

Download the flyer to promote book club invitations here:ÌýÌýÌýDownload flyer

Discussion structure for book club meetings

• Part I: Introduction, Chapter 1 (Coates' journey to Senegal and his reflections on the African diaspora), Chapter 2 (Coates visits a South Carolina teacher who is being challenged for teaching his book ).
• Part II: Chapter 3 (Coates at the Palestine Festival of Literature, where his previous understanding of Israel and Palestine are transformed)

How to Join

1. Free Book Giveaway - The first 100 CU ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ students/staff/faculty have received a free copy of and must have been picked up before December 20, 2024. As of January 8, 2025, the CHA has 13 extra books available for pick-up for anyone (1 per person), first come first serve.
   • Note: The CHA Office (Macky Auditorium, RM 201) is open on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 10am - 4pm.Ìý
2. - Book club meetings will take place in mid to late January 2025 (see full schedule below). Last day to sign up is January 16, 2025. UPDATE: If you missed the sign-up deadline, you can attend any in-person session and you can contact Adele Potter [adele.potter@colorado.edu] for a zoom link. Please access the full schedule -- there are multiple in-person and zoom sessions for Part I and Part II.

Book Club Schedule & Sign-Up

Join us for engaging discussions in both in-person and virtual formats! Please see the available dates and times below, and sign up to reserve your spot. In-person sessions are limited to 20 people, and Zoom sessions can accommodate up to 30 participants. Last day to sign up to participate in the book club is Thursday, January 16, 2025.Ìý

Resources for The Message Book Club

CU ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ's University Libraries has created a resource guide that is centered around the theme of storytelling woven throughoutÌýThe Message andÌýoffers background information on the historical and contemporary contexts in which Coates writes.Ìý

In this resource, you'll find books, essays, films, podcasts,Ìýoral histories, newsÌýand more spanning all chapters. With the additional option for resources based on each chapter page in The Message, you'll find a more detailed dive into the topics.Ìý

• Resources for The Message (overall):
• Resources for Chapter 2 "On Pharaohs" in The Message: Ìý
• Resources for Chapter 3 "Bearing the Flaming Cross" in The Message: Ìý
• Resources for Chapter 4 "The Gigantic Dream" in The Message: Ìý

Special thanks to , University Libraries for putting this guide together.

For any questions related to the book club, reach out to the CHA team at cu-cha@colorado.edu.