WASHINGTON — A regular book club meeting turned into something truly special after a surprise visit from Former President Barack Obama.
Members of The MahoganyBooks and Very Smart Brothas Book Club in D.C. were told that they were meeting with a member of President Obama's Administration. Well, they were in for a huge shock when they realized Former President Obama, himself, crashed the party.
The book club members usually meet once a month inside MahoganyBooks in Southeast D.C. to hold discussions about various Black books they read that month. They've read the work of well-known authors such as Yuval Taylor, Damon Young, Kiese Laymon, Zora Neale Hurston, Bell Hooks, Elaine Welteroth and the list goes on.
And since the pandemic, they haven't been able to meet in-person. So with the start of Black History Month, they decided to hold a virtual meeting on Jan. 26 to kick things off, and Obama joined in the fun.
The group got real with President Obama and held conversations about his unwavering sense of optimism, his advice for pushing away feelings of unpreparedness and uncertainty and his book, A Promise Land.
The MahoganyBooks and Very Smart Brothas Book Club was co-founded in 2018 by Derrick and Ramunda Young, owners of award-winning MahoganyBooks and The Root’s writer, Panama Jackson. D.C. area residents are encouraged to participate in the club.
MahoganyBooks prides itself on meeting the literary needs of readers nationwide in search of books written for, by, or about people of the African Diaspora. They promote reading, writing, and cultural awareness of the African American community.
To learn more about the MahoganyBooks and Very Smart Brothas Book Club or Mahogany Books bookstore, click here.
