ObasekiChange

01/20/2022

It's been drilled into us since childhood: When we walk into a room, we bring our ancestors and 1000 other Black people with us. That's a heavy weight to carry when you're trying to run your race!

08/14/2021

Thom and I were born in the ‘50s. This means we’ve lived in seven decades, two centuries and two millennia. We’ve experienced the depths of devastation and also the highest levels of joy. When people say “age ain’t nothing but a number,” we politely beg to differ. We’ve been allowed to gain enough wisdom over the years to become Elders who are contributing to solutions for humanity (ObasekiChange).

Our age is more than just an accumulation of years. It’s all about the give back ~ the sharing of this accumulated knowledge. All the years and all the experiences led us to this, our penultimate “job.” With God’s help, we’re going to leave it all on the table and finish strong.

07/31/2021

So... July was pretty much a bust! What with moving to Houston for the Summer, house remodeling, and health issues... OC Book Club took a nose dive! I truly hate it, especially since "A Thousand Splendid Suns" was such a wonderful read.

I would have loved to at least have a Last Hurrah Summary Discussion, but it feels like beating a (very) dead horse at this point. I do hope everyone at least finished the book and that its beauty resonated in your spirit as it did in mine.

As discussed, Book Club will be taking a hiatus in August. If you choose to continue this "diversity in reading" journey with me, our next book, "The Ministry of Utmost Happiness" by Arundhati Roy will be the next vehicle we'll ride down our road of discovery. We will meet mid-September for a one-time discussion of this riveting novel. (Date/Time TBD) I've gotten started already. Sure hope you'll be joining me!

07/04/2021

USA. With all her flaws, nowhere else I’d rather be. We built it. We’ll fix it. Ain’t going nowhere. Happy 4th! Join me. Be part of real change. 🇱🇷

06/12/2021

Hello OC Bookclub’ers!
We’re looking forward to discussing Chapters 21-26 today at 2 CST!
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85622305603...
Meeting ID: 856 2230 5603
Passcode: 44704

06/05/2021

Hello OC Bookclub’ers!
We’re looking forward to discussing Chapters 16-20 (and maybe even further to Chapter 26) today, June 5th, at 2 CST! (Missed you all last week!_



Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85622305603...
Meeting ID: 856 2230 5603
Passcode: 447047

05/27/2021

ObasekiChange BookClub'ers: We will NOT be meeting this Saturday (May 29). We are finally seeing progress on our home and will be meeting with cabinetry folks and painters on Saturday. Our next meeting will be Saturday, June 5. At that time we will discuss Chapters 16-20 (previously due on 5/29) and Chapters 21-26 (6/5).

Have a wonderful, relaxing, book-filled Memorial Day weekend!

05/22/2021

Hello OC Bookclub’ers!
We’re looking forward to discussing Chapters 8-15 today at 2 CST!

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85622305603?pwd=cVo3NjAzekxaZHRiUU5RWGlhNU5yQT09

Meeting ID: 856 2230 5603
Passcode: 447047

04/24/2021

Today April 23 is UNESCO'S World Book Day! World Book Day was designated by UNESCO as a worldwide celebration of books and reading, and over 100 countries around the globe join in the celebration. The main aim of World Book Day is to encourage children to explore the pleasures of books and reading.

My fourth grade teacher, Mrs. Lottie Lou Lucinda Loving Curl, awakened in me the love of books. She showed me how I could travel around the world, back in time, forward to the future... all without leaving my little country town! I will forever be indebted to her for this indescribable gift!

On Saturday, ObasekiChange Book Club engaged in our final discussion of Yaa Gyasi's "Homegoing," chapters 11-14. Our next book discussion, Khaled Hosseini's "A Thousand Splendid Suns" will be Saturday, May 15th. Grab a copy and join us as we discuss the first few chapters.

04/19/2021

In celebration of AAPI (Asian American Pacific Islander) Heritage Month throughout May, and commemorating the total withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan, we are pleased to announce ObasekiChange Book Club will be reading “A Thousand Splendid Suns” by Khaled Hosseini. Our goal at OC Book Club is to present an opportunity for its members to come together to learn and grow, and to share thoughts and perspectives centered around specific diversity topics.

BOOK SUMMARY
A Thousand Splendid Suns is a breathtaking story set against the volatile events of Afghanistan's last thirty years - from the Soviet invasion to the reign of the Taliban to post-Taliban rebuilding. It puts the violence, fear, hope, and faith of this country in intimate, human terms. It is a tale of two generations brought together by the tragic sweep of war, where personal lives - the struggle to survive, raise a family, find happiness - are inextricable from the history playing out around them.

WHY THIS BOOK
This extraordinary novel explores the lives of Afghan women who have lived under the debilitating shadows of patriarchal oppression, endless violence and war. Khaled Hosseini’s novel argues how the patriarchy and persistent conditions of conflict have multiplied the oppression on women in Afghanistan and provides historical context for those unfamiliar with these stories.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE
All you’ll need to do is get the book (through Amazon, from your local library, or borrow from a friend), and come to each zoom meeting having read specific chapters. Everyone is encouraged to participate in the conversation, but as always, you are welcome to simply listen.

DATES AND TIMES
We will begin our first discussion Saturday, May 8th. This should give everyone enough time to begin reading Part 1. (Note: Because so many of us have such busy daily schedules, we break our reading into manageable portions in order to have more relevant discussions.)

Part 1 – Ch. 1-7/Ch. 8-15
Date: May 8/May 15
Time: 12:00PM PST / 2:00PM CST / 7:00PM GMT (UK)

Part 2 – Ch. 16-20/Ch. 21-26
Date: May 22/May 29
Time: 12:00PM PST / 2:00PM CST / 7:00PM GMT (UK)

Part 3 – Ch. 27-33/Ch. 34-40
Date: June 5/June 12
Time: 12:00PM PST / 2:00PM CST / 7:00PM GMT (UK)

Part 3 (cont’d) Ch. 41-47/Part 4 - Chapters 48-51
Date: June 26 (June 19th is a Holiday)
Time: 12:00PM PST / 2:00PM CST / 7:00PM GMT (UK)

03/20/2021

ObasekiChange Book Club is currently reading "Homegoing" by Ya'a Gyasi. Here is a thought-provoking article by her about her books.

When Yaa Gyasi’s book rocketed up the charts after last year’s Black Lives Matter protests, she grieved. Treating authors of colour as tools for self-improvement is an impoverished response to centuries of harm

01/30/2021

"To go against the dominant thinking of your friends, of most of the people you see every day, is perhaps the most difficult act of heroism you can perform." - Theodore H. White