Reading and Community

By Joyce Woodard

Since being in college, I have become more interested in reading outside of school, thanks to discovering new writers and being inspired to read by others. I enjoy speaking to other young Black women about books because they usually have the best recommendations, but I'm interested to know how they have grown their relationship with reading, or how its changed.

Prior to college, I didn’t read much on my own, and while my reading habits have improved, I could still be doing more. I think asking other Black readers how they have improved or what keeps them interested would be helpful, not only for me but also for others. Black women readers read an array of authors and genres, so I think it would be fascinating to understand how those factors shape their reading.

Personally, I think a sense of community has shaped me into the reader I am, but do other Black women readers feel the same? Surely, there is someone who reads for different reasons, and that's why I'm interested in learning more.

Everyone has a different relationship with reading, and as someone actively working to improve my approach, I think speaking with Black women readers would help me make those improvements.

Related:

• Notes on Black Readers & Digital Culture  

Building Spaces for Black Men Readers

By Albert A. Smith 

Systemically there is much that can be done to promote the reading habits of Black men at SIUE. I feel that an impactful start would be creating and upholding a space for Black men to read. While the Lovejoy Library is a space that warrants a place to study for SIUE’s general student populace, it doesn’t have much to incentivize students to stay around and engage with new literature.

The space would need to be a place that is in proximity to the rest of campus and has plenty of reading options. Preferably, it would also be in a space where Black men are already at/going. SIUE has some great initiatives/curriculum in place already that have garnered widespread support and interest. The introductory courses offered by African American literary studies at SIUE would be examples of this, but these courses (like all courses) are only offered for one year.

SIUE introducing a Black man reading initiative that seeks to support reading habits following their first-semester course could be beneficial. This could keep students connected to the university and develop their reading habits throughout their time at SIUE. 

While the initiative could come in several ways (an organization, a check-in, etc.) having SIUE’s support at the administrative level would greatly contribute to expanding how Black men read and think about reading.

Related:

• Notes on Black Readers & Digital Culture

When the Interests and Career Pressures of Black Men Intersect

By Albert A. Smith 

While conducting interviews, there were a few trends that would cause me to analyze black men and their reading habits on a deeper level. For example, their choice of major and the reasoning behind choosing it would oftentimes be indirect or not related at all.

A few students mentioned that their choice of major was solely a result of their interests, but many of the students noted that their choice was oftentimes driven by money and stability. Some even fully acknowledged that their choice was strictly a “cash-grab” and that they weren’t that engaged in what they were pursuing.

This trend revealed itself to be  prominent throughout the interviews, and it sparked my curiosity as to what African American men seek to gain from school and how the relationship between their passions and needs intersect. Despite identifying interests in the humanities, culture, and art, they would oftentimes neglect that interest in favor of a contrary major.

I’ve also gained a ton of curiosity as to how reading (as a habit) can be encouraged and promoted without academic pressure. It seemed that at the root of complications and struggles with reading was finding some time to read content that wasn’t academically assigned. While academic-based literature is essential to higher education, there still needs to be some sort of development at the personal and non-academic level. I'm really curious to see what all that might entail.

Related:

• Notes on Black Readers & Digital Culture

A Record Semester (Fall 2025) for African American Literary Studies at SIUE

In fall 2025, our African American literary studies group at SIUE offered more courses than ever before, with 33 classes in a single semester.

To put that in perspective, our previous high was 12 courses in one semester, back in spring 2023.

So what changed?

Most notably, the university enrolled a record number of first-semester Black students, and 514 of those students took our introductory African American literature course. For the first time, we also paired that course with labs, significantly expanding our instructional capacity and support for students. 

Here’s what we offered: 14 sections of the first-semester African American literature course, 14 lab sections, an online African American literature survey, African American Women Writers, a 400-level African American literature course, a diversity and comic books course, and a graduate seminar in African American literature. In total, 12 instructors taught across these offerings.

Fall 2025 marked a new scale of reach for African American literary studies at SIUE.

Related:

• African American Literary Studies at SIUE

How Black Women Are Reading Now

By Joyce Woodard 

Social media has made discovering new content, interests, and communities accessible to just about anyone. This accessibility has been significant for Black communities in creating spaces and representation. Black women students have played an integral part in this community-building by sharing their favorite books and even forming book clubs/groups.

 
Black women have obviously been reading books and forming communities long before social media, it is important to note the role digital platforms play presently. Young black women sharing their thoughts on a book they read with other Black women via social media opens the floor, or the comment section in this case, for discussion while also offering a sense of community.

While watching book recommendations or reviews by Black women students, a common theme emerges; they nearly always mention not enjoying books about Black women’s pain and suffering, instead, they look for books about Black empowerment or love. Prominent Black authors like bell hooks, Kristina Forest, and Kennedy Ryan, to name a few, are among the most mentioned authors in these videos. Many young Black women shared the same sentiment of wanting to read more classic Black literature.

Digital platforms outside of social media that offer audiobooks have played a major role in shaping how young Black women read. Not only are audiobooks more convenient, but they also encourage more frequent reading for young Black women.

Related:

• Notes on Black Readers & Digital Culture

Viewing Amy Sherald

A brief take on how SIUE Promise Prize Scholars Nia Roy and Al Smith respond to Amy Sherald’s portraiture, showing how students articulate the power of her grayscale technique, vibrant color contrasts, and confident subjects to reshape perceptions of Black identity and everyday representation.

 

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Related:

• Episodes of Remarkable Receptions

• A Data Visualization of Amy Sherald's paintings

• A checklist of paintings by Amy Sherald

“People Assume I Don’t Read”

By Albert A. Smith 

A haunting theme that arose when conducting interviews with several African American men was that they felt that they were often overlooked when it came to reading related opportunities. These opportunities were defined as being able to express how they felt about what they read and several men mentioned that others oftentimes assumed that they didn’t read outside of school.

 
First-year student Jamoni Denzmore pointed out that his laid-back demeanor oftentimes led to many of his peers and instructors thinking that he wasn’t as serious about his reading. This led to him being labeled as a non-participant, and his instructors and peers no longer included him when discussing the nature of the relevant readings.

In addition to acknowledging that his reading skills were often overlooked, he also mentioned that he mostly enjoyed reading privately and wasn’t forthcoming with class discussions related to assigned readings. Denzmore's testimony could be viewed in several ways, but the most apparent is a disconnect between being a capable reader and being an enjoyer. That is, that while a student such as Denzmore enjoys reading in private, his habits aren’t showcased in environments where verbal expression and comprehension are required (i.e. Socratic seminars and class discussions).

With a specialization in Sports Psychology, Denzmore pointed out that he is regularly drawn to non-fiction texts that can be used to expand his vocabulary. “In college, I’ve narrowed down more words and analyzed passages more than in high school. It goes a lot further than me just reading it to get it over with.”

Denzmore provided valuable insight into reading attitudes and patterns at the collegiate level from the lens of an African American male. That is, that while his relaxed and calm demeanor is a testament to his personality, it has no correlation to his interest and ability to read. Identifying what young African American men like to read and exploring a variety of ways that they can express what they’ve comprehended may prove to be worthwhile in ensuring that they are given options and can benefit from the exposure.

Related: 

• Notes on Black Readers & Digital Culture

Notes on Black Readers & Digital Culture

This series charts the practices and perspectives of Black readers, including their engagements with literary works, social media, digital platforms, and informal reading spaces. Through observation, interviews, and short reports, we document students’ concerns, interests, interpretive habits, and the ways they navigate reading across print, screens, and social networks.

Entries by Albert A. Smith 

• “People Assume I Don’t Read” 

• When the Interests and Career Pressures of Black Men Intersect 

• Building Spaces for Black Men Readers 

Entries by Joyce Woodard 

• How Black Women Are Reading Now 

• Reading and Community

Related:

• A Notebook on Readers