Nubian Book Club empowers, uplifts and inspires Black youths during summer 2021

BY PAUL JUNOR

It is hard to believe that it is thirteen years now since the Nubian Book Club (NBC) has been making a difference in the lives of not just Black boys and girls, but their parents, caregivers, guardians and community supporters.

Donna Cardoza as well as committed parents, educators, students and guardians, started it in 2008. Donna has received widespread recognition for her community work by the Town of Markham in 2009. She was presented with the 2009 YMCA Peace Medallion and the 2011 Ontario Medal for Good Citizenship. In addition, in 2016 she was named as one of the 100 Accomplished Black Canadian Women.

Professionally, Donna is a Community Support Worker with the Toronto District School Board (TDSB), the largest school board in Canada. For 11 years, Donna has provided her home as a safe space distinguished by being an environment of: love, caring, belonging and connection for youth, families, educators and community members who see the potential in Black youths and motivate and inspire them towards excellence in all areas of their lives.

During the summer of 2020 and for the upcoming summer 2021, there will be a virtual online presence of NBC because of the pandemic. I was able to interview Donna, and had an informative discussion about the success of NBC over the years.

I have been privileged over the years to attend many NBC and I have witnessed first-hand the benefits accrued to the participants. Some of her promotional material states, “NBC is an intergenerational book club (from pre-K to 100 years old). We engage in reading, learning, unlearning, and relearning by discussing current and global issues. We have guest speakers, we hear words of wisdom from great mentors, enjoy food, fellowship, friendship, swimming and networking. It was born from Nubian Excellence at Milliken Mills High School (YRDSB) to help African and Afro-Diasporic students learn about and share knowledge of their heritage and the wider community.”

Donna believes that it does take a “village to raise a child,” She told me, “Everything is grounded in relationships, whether family, friends or work.” For her, “A good leader is an influencer.” Even though NBC started in York Region and involved the York Region District School Board (YRDSB) it now involves five other school boards.

Nubian Book Club’s four stated goals are:

• Nubian Book Club recognizes that literacy is holistic and co-operative. We motivate students by getting them to engage in what is most important to them.
• We promote social literacies such as networking, authentic engagement and discussions around high interest, non-fiction texts.
• The book stimulates discussion. Speakers and participants make connections to different texts and to share various experiences.
• We expose students to people they may not otherwise meet and reinforce the value of reading and gaining knowledge and experience. They learn that literacy is something that enriches and creates community.

Donna is indebted to the many facilitators who have played an active role in NBC over the years, and continue to do so. They include: Dr.C. Camille Logan, Dr.Carl James, Dr, Kim Tavares, Dr. Vidya Shah, Clayton La Touche, Cecil Roach, Tisha Nelson,Anton Skerritt,Jeewan Chanicka , Darcie Sutherland, Pierrette Walker-Ennis  and  Prince Duah.

Donna is grateful that the NBC was able to support Hole Primary School in Free State, South Africa by building their school library and sending thousands of books to them. Books were also sent to Nigeria. She told me that NBC was able to raise

$2,000 that provided scholarships for twenty students.

The focus of NBC Summer 2021 will be “Towards Liberation for Black Students and Their Communities.” There is no need to buy books or obtain pre-reading materials. Excerpts of books will be made available during each NBC session.

The book that will be discussed is “We Want to do more than Survive,” by Dr. Bettina Love. Donna told me that there are 208 people registered so far. The sessions will be held on Thursday, July 8^th, 22^nd and August 2^nd, 2021.

Nubian Book Club is still accepting resgistrations and the community can register at this link: https://docs.goggle.com/forms/d/e/1FA1pQLSd9pFhya_F7VCjbAaTdGpXRdRXaCu_ lhLwn0j9aDf-Y2V6sA/viewform?usp=sf_link