Book clubs and banned books are shaping how communities read, learn, and push back against censorship—especially when reading becomes a shared, collective practice.

In this episode of Avery Messenger, hosts Georgette Mayo and D’Aujai Kelly explore the legacy and impact of Black-led reading communities, from Charleston’s longstanding Phillis Wheatley Literary and Social Club archives to the Dr. Consuela Francis Reading Circle and its 10-year milestone.

You’ll also hear from OlaRonke Akinmowo, founder/director of the Free Black Women’s Library in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, and George M. Johnson, award-winning author of All Boys Aren’t Blue, on why storytelling matters—and what it takes to resist book bans and censorship.

Links From Podcast:

Avery Research Center for African American History and Culture website: https://avery.charleston.edu

Last Call for Proposals: “Those Who Have, Must Turn Around and Give:” Celebrating 40 Years of Preserving Black History and Education,” https://avery.charleston.edu/cfp_avery_mellon/

AMN 1031: Phillis Wheatley Literary and Social Club records on the Lowcountry Digital Library: https://lcdl.library.cofc.edu/content/phillis-wheatley-literary-and-social-club-papers/

Dr. Conseula Francis Reading Circle: Red Island House with author Andrea Lee: YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-phSMuxVrPc

Article from the National Endowment for the Arts: “Federal Date on Reading for Pleasure: All Signs Show a Slump” by Sunil Iyengar.

OlaRonke Akinmowo and The Free Black Women’s Library: https://www.thefreeblackwomenslibrary.com

Charleston City Paper article: “Activists say book bans infringe on free speech,” by Maura Hogan. Dated 3 October 2025. https://charlestoncitypaper.com/2025/10/03/activists-say-book-bans-infringe-on-free-speech/

George M. Johnson website: https://iamgmjohnson.com

Time Stamps / Chapters:

00:56 Why book clubs matter: community + critical thinking

01:46 Phillis Wheatley Literary & Social Club (Avery archives)

03:30 Dr. Consuela Francis Reading Circle: origins + 10-year milestone

06:08 Zoom era: expanded reach + author conversations

08:18 Interview begins: OlaRonke Akinmowo + Free Black Women’s Library

14:04 From traveling library to storefront (5,000+ books)

18:08 Mutual aid in action: period pantry, free store, garden + care

22:53 Censorship + banned books: why cultural production matters

26:58 “Pretty Little Brick”: Black women writers collective + limited edition

34:08 George M. Johnson intro: All Boys Aren’t Blue + banned books context

36:03 Writing origins + Toni Morrison influence

41:22 Writing as liberation + chosen family + supporting youth

48:13 Book bans reality: activism, ideology, and impact

59:45 Subverting censorship: gifting books + “resource center” strategy

01:02:49 Announcements + acknowledgments + upcoming episodes