Black Feminist Book Club Reads — The War Before: The True Life Story of Becoming a Black Panther, Keeping the Faith in Prison, and Fighting for Those Left Behind
August 2 @ 3:00 pm - 4:30 pm
Free
The Black Feminist Book Club reads books written by Black transgender, gender expansive, and/or women writers, which center the liberation, struggle, and lived experiences of oppressed people/marginalized groups through a Black feminist perspective. The group celebrates classic and contemporary Black authors of fiction and nonfiction, all in the comfort of a historic feminist bookstore where many of these authors once read or shared their works! Our goal is for these texts to be welcoming and accessible regardless of your background or familiarity with the books.
Yemisi Combahee, a senior organizer with Black Feminist Future is the facilitator of this group. Yemisi will not be present for August’s gathering and the book club gathering will be led by Jalessah T. Jackson. All community members are invited to attend with the acknowledgment that this is a space that centers Black women and gender expansive folks’ thoughts, creativity, and lived experiences. We encourage folks to read the months book before our gathering but it is not required – come as you are, regardless of how much you’ve read!
This group meets in-person at Charis on the first Sunday of each month at 3pm.
NOTE: Next month’s book club meeting will take place on Sunday, September 20th at 3:00pm ET.
About our August book:
The War Before: The True Life Story of Becoming a Black Panther, Keeping the Faith in Prison, and Fighting for Those Left Behind by Safiya Bukhari
In 1968, Safiya Bukhari witnessed an NYPD officer harassing a Black Panther for selling the organization’s newspaper on a Harlem street corner. The young pre-med student felt compelled to intervene in defense of the Panther’s First Amendment right; she ended up handcuffed and thrown into the back of a police car.
The War Before traces Bukhari’s lifelong commitment as an advocate for the rights of the oppressed. Following her journey from middle-class student to Black Panther to political prisoner, these writings provide an intimate view of a woman wrestling with the issues of her time—the troubled legacy of the Panthers, misogyny in the movement, her decision to convert to Islam, the incarceration of outspoken radicals, and the families left behind. Her account unfolds with immediacy and passion, showing how the struggles of social justice movements of the past have paved the way for the progress—and continued struggle—of today.
With a preface by Bukhari’s daughter, Wonda Jones, a forward by Angela Y. Davis, and edited by Laura Whitehorn, The War Before is a riveting look at the making of an activist and the legacy she left behind.
2026 Books:
January: The Secret Lives of Church Ladies by Deesha Philyaw
February: A Black Women’s History of the United States by Daina Ramey Berry & Kali Nicole Gross
March: Gorilla, My Love by Toni Cade Bambara
April: Love Poems by Nikki Giovanni
May: The Gilda Stories by Jewelle Gomez
June: The Cancer Journals by Audre Lorde
July: The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi
August: The War Before: The True Life Story of Becoming a Black Panther, Keeping the Faith in Prison, and Fighting for Those Left Behind by Safiya Bukhari
September: Sassafrass, Cypress & Indigo by Ntozake Shange
October: Belly of the Beast: The Politics of Anti-Fatness as Anti-Blackness by Da’Shaun L. Harrison
November: Nervous Conditions by Tsitsi Dangarembga
In-person event guidelines:
– All attendees must wear a face mask.
– We will begin seating people at 2:45 PM ET.
– As a reminder: If you are not feeling well, please do not come to the event.
If you have any questions regarding these guidelines or to request specific accessibility accommodations, please contact info@charisbooksandmore.com or call the store at 404-524-0304
The event is free and open to all people, but we encourage and appreciate a donation of $5-20 in support of the work of Charis Circle, our programming non-profit. Donate online at www.chariscircle.org/donate or in person at the event.
By attending our event you agree to our Code of Conduct: Our event seeks to provide a harassment-free experience for everyone, regardless of gender, gender identity and expression, age, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, ethnicity, religion (or lack thereof), class, or technology choices. We do not tolerate harassment in any form. Unsolicited sexual language and imagery are not appropriate. Anyone violating these rules will be expelled from this event and all future events at the discretion of the organizers. Please report all harassment to info@chariscircle.org immediately.
