West Island association is starting a new initiative in September to give black girls a place to share perspectives on books and promote their culture
In September, the West Island Black Community Association (WIBCA) is launching a book club called Black Girls Gather so young girls can talk about issues they deal with on a daily basis, as well as to introduce a more positive side to black culture through the books they read.
This non-profit association provides programs and services for people of all ages in the West Island black community.
Black Girls Gather was created by volunteers Mariame Touré and Fabiola Ngamaleu Teumeni, to expose young girls to diversity in their reading choices. Touré says the two wanted to start the book club because they never got to chance to read about black characters at school. “Fabiola and I went to a predominately white high school,” Touré says. “All of the books we were reading focused on Quebec culture and there wasn’t a lot of diversity in the curriculum. We felt like we needed to create a space for young girls where they could come together and discuss issues of race and gender.”