A brand new ebook membership in Chicago for Black males to debate artwork, books, and tradition has arrived.
The Seen Man Overview was created by lawyer, Alex Breland, in January of 2021during the pandemic.
The group’s title was impressed by the ebook “Invisible Man” by Ralph Ellison and has about 25 members between the ages of 30 and 75. The Seen Man Overview serves as a secure place exterior of sports activities the place Black males can expertise camaraderie and group. Breland advised the Chicago Tribune that members of the group additionally talk about topics resembling faith, youth and generational divides.
“This isn’t nearly us pounding our chests; it’s about studying,” Breland stated. “We needs to be difficult one another. The great thing about it’s we’re speaking concerning the ebook however speaking about artwork, poetry and different issues they learn, different issues they’ve watched and also you notice, ‘Man, these are some dynamic of us. How else would I get this?’”
Breland reached out to buddies and colleagues when he started the membership, and the group first met throughout Zoom periods earlier than they started assembly in individual on the final Thursday of each month. A brand new ebook is chosen each month, and Breland says that every member is inspired to suggest books for group to learn. A few of the books chosen to this point have been “The Plot In opposition to America” by Phillip Roth, “Issues Fall Aside” by Chinua Achebey and “The Secret Lives of Church Women” by Deesha Philyaw.
Former chemist and artwork collector, 75-year-old Patric McCoy, has gotten different males to hitch the group and stated that studying “Three Women From Bronzeville” — a ebook about how racism and violence impacted the lives of three ladies rising up in Chicago — prompted conversations about fathers and daughters that he had by no means heard Black males talk about earlier than.
“As a result of so most of the guys within the group have daughters, they began speaking concerning the idea of males fathering daughters, points that I’ve by no means heard Black males discuss,” stated McCoy. “There’s a complete world of points that Black males have skilled and till now we have now not had the mechanism to speak about these issues.”
Breland stated that the Seen Man Overview is value sharing and has created a Twitter account in addition to an Instagram web page to unfold the phrase.
