Raising Awareness through Community Reading Events

The public libraries in four towns in Western Massachusetts have teamed up to organize a multi-community reading event that is centered on a book called Outcasts United: An American Town, a Refugee Team, and One Woman's Quest to Make a Difference, by Warren St. John.  The town is Clarkston, Georgia, the team plays soccer, and the woman is Luma Mufleh, an alumna of Smith College, which is located in Northampton, Massachusetts (one of the towns involved in the community read).

The idea behind city-wide reading programs is to bring communities together around one book, and, at least in this particular case, get people "thinking about and discussing important issues to do with refugees and the impact of immigration on communities."  Scheduling related events such as discussion groups, film screenings, and public panels can help to further foster that sense of community and airing of ideas.  See, for example, the events that have been planned for Outcasts United.

For more information...
- about this project: visit the All Hamptons Read web page
- about the book: visit the Outcasts United site
- about the soccer teams and programs featured in the book: visit the Fugees Family web site

And if you want to organize your own community-wide read (hopefully around another forced migration-related book!), check out this guide from the American Library Association.

Tagged Publications and Events & Opportunities.