Spring 2025 Book Club: "The Message" by Ta-Nehisi Coates
Spring 2025 Book ClubÌý
The Message by Ta-Nehisi Coates
Hosted by the Center for Humanities & the Arts (CHA)
Meetings hosted January 2025
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"The Message" by Ta-Nehisi Coates
91ÖÆƬ³§ the Book Club
The CHA, along with our co-sponsors, hosts a book club in January 2025 to discuss , in which Ta-Nehisi Coates discusses traveling to Senegal and ruminates on the African diaspora (Ch. 1), visits a teacher in South Carolina who is being challenged for assigning Coates’s book (Ch. 2), and attends the Palestine Festival of Literature, where his previous understanding of Israel and Palestine is transformed (Ch. 3).
- Book Club Dates: January 17 - January 31, 2025
- Location: In-person and Zoom meetings
Download the flyer to promote the book club here:Ìý
Resources for The Message Book Club
CU Boulder's University Libraries has created a resource guide that is centered around the theme of storytelling woven throughoutÌýThe Message andÌýoffers background information on the historical and contemporary contexts in which Coates writes.
In this resource, you'll find books, essays, films, podcasts,Ìýoral histories, newsÌýand more spanning all chapters. With the additional option for resources based on each chapter page in The Message, you'll find a more detailed dive into the topics.
- Resources for The Message (overall):
- Resources for Chapter 2 "On Pharaohs" in The Message:
- Resources for Chapter 3 "Bearing the Flaming Cross" in The Message:
- Resources for Chapter 4 "The Gigantic Dream" in The Message:
Special thanks to , University Libraries for putting this guide together.
Discussion structure for book club meetings
- Part I: Chapter 1 (Coates' writing to his students about writing), Chapter 2 (Coates' journey to Senegal and his reflections on the African diaspora), Chapter 3 (Coates visits a South Carolina teacher who is being challenged for teaching his book ).
- Part II: Chapter 4 (Coates at the Palestine Festival of Literature, where his previous understanding of Israel and Palestine are transformed)
How to Join
- Free Book Giveaway - The first 140 CU Boulder students/staff/faculty received a free copy of and must have been picked up before December 20, 2024. In January 2025, the CHA distributed 13 extra books that were available for pick-up for anyone (1 per person), first come first serve.
- Note: The CHA Office (Macky Auditorium, RM 201) is open on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 10am - 4pm.
- Sign Up for Book Club Meeting Discussions - Book club meetings will took place in mid to late January 2025 (see full schedule below).
Book Club Schedule & Sign-Up
We welcomed the CU Boulder and local community to join us for engaging discussions in both in-person and virtual formats! Please see the available dates and times below, and sign up to reserve your spot. In-person sessions were limited to 20 people, and Zoom sessions accommodated up to 30 participants. Last day to sign up to participate in the book club was Thursday, January 16, 2025.
In-Person Sessions:
Location: CHA Conference Room, 201 Macky Auditorium (Enter through the far left door with the blue wheelchair placard) with the exception of January 21--see below:
- Part I (discuss Chapters 1 and 2)
- Friday, January 17, 12:00-1:15 pm -- FULL/CLOSED
- Tuesday, January 21, 11:00-12:15 pm -- Abrams Lounge, C4C
- Tuesday, January 21, 12:30-1:45 pm -- CU Art Museum Conference room
- Wednesday, January 22, 12:00-1:15 pm
- Thursday, January 23, 12:00-1:15 pm
- Part II (discuss Chapter 3)
- Friday, January 24, 12:00-1:15 pm
- Monday, January 27, 12:00-1:15 pm
- Tuesday, January 28, 11:00-12:15 pm
- Tuesday, January 28, 12:30-1:45 pm
- Wednesday, January 29, 12:00-1:15 pm -- FULL/CLOSED
- Friday, January 31, 12:00-1:15 pm
Zoom Sessions:
Zoom sessions were available for remote participation and had a capacity of 30 people.
- Part I (discuss Chapters 1 and 2)
- Wednesday, January 22, 12:00-1:15 pm
- Thursday, January 23, 12:00-1:15 pm
- Thursday, January 23, 6:00-7:15 pm
- Friday, January 24, 12:00-1:15 pm
- Part II (discuss Chapter 3)
- Wednesday, January 29, 12:00-1:15 pm
- Thursday, January 30, 12:00-1:15 pm
- Thursday, January 30, 6:00-7:15 pm
- Friday, January 31, 12:00-1:15 pm
For any questions related to the book club, reach out to the CHA team at cu-cha@colorado.edu.
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Co-Sponsors: Center for African and African American Studies, Center for Inclusion and Social Change, Center for Media, Religion, and Culture, Center for Native American and Indigenous Studies, CU Libraries, English and Creative Writing, Ethnic Studies, Program for Writing and Rhetoric, Program in Jewish Studies, Renée Crown Wellness Institute, Social Science Division of the College of Arts and Sciences.