Atlanta Literary Club Makes History With 100th Anniversary

Before Carter G. Woodson implemented his Negro History Week (which evolved into Black History Month), a small group of women in Atlanta were making history of their own. While most African Americans were still shaking off the yoke of slavery and the illiteracy that accompanied it, Lugenia Burns Hope, wife of Atlanta University President John Hope, a founding member of the NAACP, gathered 11 of her peers to meet monthly and discuss books, as well as social, political and other issues relevant to the black community. It was their haven. And it was a place to broaden their minds and have a voice.

On Feb. 15, the Inquirers Club celebrated its 100th year in existence, making it the oldest black book club in America.

"We might be the oldest book club to meet consistently for the last hundred years," said Inquirers Club President Michelle Smith. "I do know for sure that we're the oldest African American book club in the nation. And we are very proud of our legacy."

The club is made up of 30 women, most of whom were brought in by their mothers, who were brought in by their mothers and so on. The club features some of Atlanta's elite, such as the great-granddaughter of Booker T. Washington, the wife of baseball Hall of Famer Hank Aaron as well as Pulitzer Prize-winning Atlanta Journal Constitution Editorial Page Editor Cynthia Tucker.

"We have one family that has four generations in the club," said Smith. "I'm second generation. My mother, who passed last May, brought me in. There's just something special about that."

That is one of the elements that member Shirley Mitchell most appreciates. She got lucky in 1999 when a non-legacy membership became available and she was invited by a college friend to join. She had to be voted into the selective club, which ranges in age from mid-20s to mid-80s. Mitchell is thrilled to be a part of it.

"When I joined, I was fascinated by the stories of these women," said Mitchell, a bank executive who said she was selected because she loves to read and averages more than two books a month. "We had grandmothers and mothers and daughters all discussing a book from totally different perspectives. I don't have a lot of legacy behind me. My mother died fairly young and so did my father. I don't have the history that some of these women have. And here was this safe environment where we could talk about these books and topics that mattered to us without judgment, cattiness or gossip. It is simply an incredible and inspiring environment."

Through Jim Crow, women's suffrage, the civil rights movement and Don Imus's flagrant comments about the Rutgers women's basketball team, the Inquirer's Club has read about and discussed it all. Last year, the women focused on books by Barack Obama as he made his historic run to the White House. This year, they kicked off with a reading of 'Taking After Mudear' by hometown author Tina McElroy Ansa, who spoke at their 100th anniversary luncheon.

Their meetings, held the first Wednesday of the month, are held at the homes of members, who take turns hosting. They may discuss a book or have a speaker or simply have a discussion among the members about a hot topic, a la 'The View.'

"We just get together and have a dialogue," said Mitchell. "I get so much out of being a part of the conversation and there's really nothing like that."

By Natalie A. Collier (Special to AOL BLACK VOICES)

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