A safe, empowering space for Black gay men to connect, read, and grow together.
📅 Once a Month on Zoom
🧘🏿♂️ Every session begins with a guided meditation inspired by themes from our reading.
📚 What We Read:
One short article, essay, or story AND
One longer novel or nonfiction book monthly.
All selections center on the lives, voices, and experiences of Black gay men.
🌱 What You’ll Gain:
A supportive, judgment-free space.
Deeper connection to yourself and others.
Insightful conversations and personal growth.
Book Club Ground Rules
A gathering for Black gay men who want to read, reflect, and root together.
Reading the book is not required. Come whether you’ve read the whole thing, a few pages, or nothing at all. This is a space for human connection, not performance.
We are a social club first. We use the book to spark conversation, not control it. We value presence over perfection, connection over completion.
This space is exclusively for Black gay men. All attendees should identify as such. No exceptions.
Come when and how you can. We honor real life. If you’re late, come anyway. If you miss a session, come back. Your belonging isn’t conditional.
Speak for yourself. Use “I” statements. No advice unless asked. No need to summarize or sound smart. Your truth is enough.
Listen with generosity. Let people finish. Sit with discomfort. Make room for difference without debate.
Confidentiality is sacred. What’s shared in the circle stays in the circle. Trust is non-negotiable.
Engage with curiosity, not certainty. We are here to learn, unlearn, and grow, not to be right.
Bring your full self. Emotions, contradictions, laughter, softness. Yes to all of it.
Keep showing up. This is about rhythm, not rigidity. We grow in community over time.
January
"A Few Rules for Predicting the Future" is a 2000 Essence magazine essay by science fiction author Octavia E. Butler, published as a gift book with Afrofuturist art by Manzel Bowman, offering guidance on navigating the future through lessons from the past, understanding consequences, and recognizing the limits of prediction, emphasizing that there's no single solution but many potential answers, including oneself. The essay stresses learning from history, taking responsibility, being aware of perspective, and expecting surprises, while warning against the pitfalls of fear, wishful thinking, and "straight-line" predictions.
To get the essay CLICK HERE.
February
Necessary Fiction is a 2025 novel by Eloghosa Osunde that explores cross-generational queer life in contemporary Nigeria, following over two dozen characters in Lagos as they navigate love, identity, and family while challenging societal norms. The book, praised for its unique structure and focus on chosen families, delves into themes of desire, fear, and connection, featuring a diverse cast working in the city's creative scenes.
March
My Government Means to Kill Me is a 2022 debut novel by Rasheed Newson, a coming-of-age story about a young, gay Black man who leaves his wealthy family in 1980s Indianapolis for New York City, where he becomes involved in the fight for gay rights and the AIDS crisis, encountering figures like Bayard Rustin and Larry Kramer. The book is praised for its humor and political depth as the protagonist, Earl "Trey" Singleton III, navigates personal trauma and social upheaval while finding his place in the world.
Your Facilitator:
Jeffrey Charles Fleming, is an actor, educator, and published author. As a proud Alumnus of Howard University and a native of Richmond, VA, and a million other life experiences along the way, he is proud to add this experience of reading books with members of his community. As a current resident in the Nation’s Capital, he enjoys singing with the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, working out in the gym, spending time with family and friends and his babies at home: Treasure (turtle), Jesse, Jamal and Josiah (plants.) He thanks all of his family and friends for their love and support. Follow him on Instagram: @Sonofhoward
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