Let’s talk details about our 1619 Project book club
Please fill out the survey by Tuesday, January 25 – so we can move forward!
Happy Friday, everyone. Thank you very much for saying hi in our last post. Please take a moment to read everyone’s introductions. All 36 of you are kind and thoughtful, and I’m excited to discuss The 1619 Project with you.
We’re getting closer to our February 1 launch. Now it’s time to talk details and to decide if you want to commit to this experience.
Here’s a summary of what I’m proposing and what I’d like to get your feedback on:
We’ll read the whole book, focusing on its 18 essays.
We’ll start in February and end in August, for a total of 7 months.
Each module, we’ll read 3 essays (1 a week) and then participate in a discussion (either the 2nd or 3rd weekend of the month — more about that in a minute).
For our discussion sessions, my proposed day and time is Sundays, 2:00 - 3:30 pm PT. The time is so that folks from coast to coast can join.
Our sessions will be 90 minutes on Zoom. Each session, we’ll begin and end as a whole group, but we’ll spend most of our time in small discussion groups. That way, we’ll have ample space to build relationships, share what we’re learning, and learn from each other.
Once we firm up dates, we’ll commit to joining all 7 discussions. This is because the book deserves our attention and because our participation is important for the learning of others.
This is for paid subscribers, with 100% of proceeds (~$648) going to The 1619 Freedom School, an afterschool literacy program founded in partnership with Nikole Hannah-Jones.
What do you think? Are you ready to commit?
Before you say, “Yes, of course!” let’s talk about the nitty-gritty details. I’ve drafted two possible schedules. Please take a look. My goal is to get your feedback and to identify the one schedule that works for everyone’s calendars.
Here’s a quick slice of one of the schedules.
You’ll see that there are reading weeks and catch-up and discussion weeks. On reading weeks, we’ll read one of the essays. In addition, I’ll send out an email, encouraging (but not requiring) all of us to share questions, confusions, insights – and most importantly, what we’re learning. Depending on how you read, the commitment will range between one and two hours of your time. (I’ve included how long each essay is.)
Then, on catch-up and discussion weeks, we’ll review the essays and get ready for our discussion on the weekend. It’s also a good time to get caught up if we’re behind.
All right, I hope that all makes sense so far.
Now comes the most important part: Getting your feedback on all of this! I look forward to hearing from you, taking in all of your ideas, deciding on a reading and discussion schedule, and moving forward.
Next steps
Here’s what to do:
Fill out this survey by Tuesday, January 25. This will take 10-25 minutes.
Optionally: Feel free to share your questions and ideas in the comments.
Optionally: Reach out to me if you want to talk more about any or all of this, particularly if you’re wavering about committing.
Thank you very much! You’ll hear from me next Wednesday or Thursday, when I’ll reveal our final reading and discussion schedule.
Have a great weekend, everyone. This book club is going to be good. I’m happy that we’re doing this together.