Oberlin is doing another BIG READ!!!

Hi, everyone,

Some of you have already heard, but I’m writing today with the official news; we have been awarded a $9,400 Big Read grant from the National Endowment for the Arts!

The Big Read is a large-scale community reading program designed around a single title; we have chosen Yaa Gyasi’s “Homegoing.” As part of this program, there will be several events and activities around the community, such as a public kick-off event, small-group discussions, and other events centered on forms of artistic expression related to the theme(s) of the book. Some of you will remember that we previously held a successful Big Read program in the 2010-11 academic year that saw widespread community engagement with the selected work, Fahrenheit 451.

We have begun making plans for the fall semester schedule of events which will include:

• Freedom’s Friends Underground Railroad and Abolition History Walks through Oberlin Heritage Center — tentatively scheduled for Thursday, September 29 6:00 p.m., and Saturday, October 8 11:00 a.m.
• various small-group book discussions around the community
• a Read Aloud event in conjunction with Banned Books Week (Sept. 18-24) — tentatively scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 21 @ 4:30pm
• bookmark design contest

We are also in the early planning stages of securing a historical re-enactment depicting a Black woman who was key in abolitionist/anti-slavery activity during the 19th century (specifically, Harriet Tubman or Sojourner Truth); this will likely be the official kick-off event in mid-to-late September. Stay tuned for a more detailed calendar of events as things get finalized.

Thanks so much to Alonso and Julie for helping with the application earlier this year and especially for helping to plan the events that will make this a remarkable event for the Oberlin community!

-eaj