A Brooklyn library centers the brilliance of Black women writers and their transformative stories.
In short: Artist OlaRonke Akinmowo founded The Free Black Women’s Library to celebrate Black women and nonbinary authors. This social art project serves as a community hub for reading, workshops, and creative collaboration, currently supported through The Met’s Civic Practice Partnership.
Located in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn, the library houses a collection of over 5,000 books. It functions as a third-space where visitors engage in critical conversations, attend film screenings, and participate in teach-ins. The project aims to highlight the transformative power of literature while fostering community connection.
As part of her residency with The Met’s Civic Practice Partnership—an initiative launched in 2017 to support socially minded artists—Akinmowo formed Obsidian. This collective of 20 Black women writers and artists meets regularly to collaborate, with the group scheduled to release their book, Pretty Little Brick, in December 2024.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: The Free Black Women’s Library | Civic Practice Partnership 2023–2025
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