The BAR - Brothers Also Read

The BAR Virtual Meeting - 12/18/25
2025-12-18 16:00 - 18:00 (America/New_York) | Virtual
Published during a literary era marked by the ascendance of black writers such as Richard Wright, Ralph Ellison, James Baldwin, and Alex Haley, this thinly fictionalized account of Claude Brown’s childhood as a hardened, streetwise criminal trying to survive the toughest streets of Harlem has been heralded as the definitive account of everyday life for the first generation of African Americans raised in the Northern ghettos of the 1940s and 1950s.
When the book was first published in 1965, it was praised for its realistic portrayal of Harlem—the children, young people, hardworking parents; the hustlers, drug dealers, prostitutes, and numbers runners; the police; the violence, sex, and humor.
The book continues to resonate generations later, not only because of its fierce and dignified anger, not only because the struggles of urban youth are as deeply felt today as they were in Brown’s time, but also because of its inspiring message. Now with an introduction by Nathan McCall, here is the story about the one who “made it,” the boy who kept landing on his feet and grew up to become a man.
With millions of copies in print, Manchild in the Promised Land is one of the most remarkable autobiographies of our time—the definitive account of African-American youth in Harlem of the 1940s and 1950s, and a seminal work of modern literature.

The BAR Member Meeting - 1/17/2026
2026-01-17 13:30 - 16:00 (America/New_York) | The LOVE Building, 4731 Grand River Ave, Detroit, MI, 48208, United States
“In the ongoing contest over which dystopian classic is most applicable to our time, Octavia Butler’s ‘Parable’ books may be unmatched.”—The New Yorker
From a celebrated, award-winning author, a modern classic about a young girl fighting for survival in a post-apocalyptic world, perfect for fans of N.K. Jemisin and Margaret Atwood.
Fifteen-year-old Lauren Olamina lives inside a gated community with her preacher father, family, and neighbors, sheltered from the surrounding social chaos and anarchy caused by climate change and economic crisis. In a society where any vulnerability is a risk, she suffers from hyperempathy—a debilitating sensitivity to others’ emotions.
Precocious and clear-eyed, Lauren must make her voice heard in order to protect her loved ones from the imminent disasters her small community stubbornly ignores. But what begins as a fight for survival soon leads to something much more: the birth of a new faith . . . and a startling vision of human destiny.
Includes a foreword by LeVar Burton and an afterword by N. K. Jemisin
Lauren’s story continues in The Parable of the Talents.

The BAR Member Meeting - 3/21/2026
2026-03-21 13:30 - 16:00 (America/New_York) | The LOVE Building, 4731 Grand River Ave, Detroit, MI, 48208, United States
From a celebrated author, the thrilling sequel to The Parable of the Sower—a cautionary novel ahead of its time, perfect for fans of The Broken Earth trilogy.
In 2032, Lauren Olamina has survived the destruction and ruin of everything she knew. Her peaceful community based on her newly founded faith, Earthseed, provides refuge for outcasts facing persecution after the election of an ultra-conservative president. Under his rule, Lauren’s colony—a minority religious faction led by a young Black woman—becomes a target for the president’s reign of terror and oppression.
Years later, Asha Vere reads the journals of a mother she never knew. As she searches for answers, she struggles to reconcile with the legacy of a mother caught between her duty to her chosen family and her calling to lead humankind into a better future.
“In the ongoing contest over which dystopian classic is most applicable to our time, Octavia Butler’s ‘Parable’ books may be unmatched.”—The New Yorker

Thursday Night Read
2026-04-23 19:00 - 20:00 UTC | Virtual
The Black Family Who Built America – the McKissacks, Two Centuries of Daring Pioneers by Cheryl McKissack Daniel with Nick Chiles.
sign up below: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScBKHnsmjWfG8DTKZk4Wyvms-8xjkicexF9dLTvayx1qOrwJQ/viewform?usp=publish-editor

Animal Farm by George Orwell.
2026-05-16 13:30 - 16:00 UTC | The LOVE Building, 4731 Grand River Ave, Detroit, MI, 48208, United States
Animal Farm is a sharp and timeless political allegory that explores power, leadership, and corruption. The story follows a group of farm animals who overthrow their human owner, hoping to build a society based on equality and fairness. What begins as a revolution for freedom slowly transforms into a system just as oppressive as the one they replaced.
Through characters like the ambitious pigs and the hardworking horse Boxer, Orwell reveals how easily ideals can be manipulated when power is concentrated in the hands of a few. The famous principle—“All animals are equal”—gradually becomes distorted, exposing the dangers of blind loyalty, propaganda, and unchecked authority.
At its core, Animal Farm is not just about politics—it’s about human nature. It challenges readers to think critically about leadership, question narratives, and recognize how quickly truth can be reshaped when people stop paying attention.

Thursday Night Read
2026-06-18 19:00 - 20:00 UTC
In Nuclear War: A Scenario, Annie Jacobsen gives us a vivid picture of what could happen if our nuclear guardians fail…Terrifying.”—Wall Street Journal

There is only one scenario other than an asteroid strike that could end the world as we know it in a matter of hours: nuclear war. And one of the triggers for that war would be a nuclear missile inbound toward the
United States.
Every generation, a journalist has looked deep into the heart of the nuclear military establishment: the technologies, the safeguards, the plans, and the risks. These investigations are vital to how we understand the world we really live in—where one nuclear missile will beget one in return, and where the choreography of the world’s end requires massive decisions made on seconds’ notice with information that is only as good as the intelligence we have.
Pulitzer Prize finalist Annie Jacobsen’s Nuclear War: A Scenario explores this ticking-clock scenario, based on dozens of exclusive new interviews with military and civilian experts who have built the weapons, have been privy to the response plans, and have been responsible for those decisions should they have needed to be made. Nuclear War: A Scenario examines the handful of minutes after a nuclear missile launch. It is essential reading, and unlike any other book in its depth and urgency.

The wretched of the earth, by frantz fanon
2026-07-18 13:00 - 16:00 UTC
The Wretched of the Earth
By Frantz Fanon
Published in 1961, The Wretched of the Earth is Frantz Fanon’s powerful examination of colonialism, liberation, identity, and nation-building. Drawing from his experiences during the Algerian struggle for independence, Fanon explores the psychological and social damage caused by colonial rule and the challenges faced by societies seeking freedom.
Fanon argues that colonialism extends beyond political domination; it shapes how people see themselves and others. Through language, culture, and institutions, colonial systems create identities of “coloniser” and “colonised,” reinforcing relationships of power and subordination. These imposed identities influence both the oppressor and the oppressed, affecting personal and collective mental well-being.
The book also examines nationalism, revolutionary movements, and the role of intellectuals in social change. Fanon challenges traditional political thinking by arguing that successful liberation movements must engage those often overlooked by society, particularly the rural poor and marginalized populations. He believed these groups possessed the independence and determination necessary to challenge colonial structures and drive meaningful change.
One of the book’s most influential sections, “On National Culture,” emphasizes the responsibility of each generation to identify its mission and contribute to the advancement of its people. Fanon argues that true liberation requires not only political independence but also cultural renewal, self-awareness, and a commitment to building a just society.
More than six decades after its publication, The Wretched of the Earth remains a foundational text for discussions on power, identity, leadership, liberation, and the enduring effects of historical systems of domination.

THE THINGS WE NEVER SAY By Elizabeth Strout
2026-09-19 13:00 - 16:00 UTC
What do we really know about the people closest to us—and what happens when the things left unsaid can no longer remain hidden?
Artie Dam appears to have a full and ordinary life: a decades-long marriage, a career teaching young people, friendships, neighbors, and weekends sailing on Massachusetts Bay. Yet beneath that life is a deep sense of isolation and a growing awareness of how little we truly understand about one another.
When Artie discovers a secret that changes everything, he is forced to reconsider his relationships, confront what he thought he knew, and find a new way forward.
With compassion and emotional depth, Elizabeth Strout explores loneliness, relationships, identity, secrets, love, and the human need to be understood.
This September The Bar invites you to go beyond the pages and ask: How well do we really know the people around us? What do we leave unsaid—and what might change if we finally said it?
