Albion's Big Read has events scheduled throughout the entire month of October. Whether you miss an event or just want to get fired up, check out our photo galleries below. Galleries are separated by event and are categorized by date, starting with the most recent. The earlier events, like the Big Read Summer Leadership Program, are toward the bottom of the page. Click a photo to make it larger and use the arrows on your keyboard to scroll through them.
ALBION’S 2023 BIG READ KEYNOTE ADDRESS AND CELEBRATION!
november 2, 2023
Award winning novelist, Sundee T. Frazier joined us for a great time at Albion’s NINTH Big Read with a big CELEBRATION! The leaders enjoyed talking with Sundee and listening to her address where she shared the importance of finding out who you are, sharing family stories, and encouraging our leaders to follow their heart and passions.
24th Annual Marilyn Crandell Schleg Lecture: Finding Community through Oral History
On October 26, Albion College Archives and Special Collections held their annual Marilyn Crandell Schleg Lecture with the guest speakers Alexis Braun-Marks, Matt Jones and Albion alumna, Akaiia Ridley ‘22 from Eastern Michigan University Oral History Program. The speakers shared about their oral history program and how oral history interviews can benefit communities.
A Lecture by Dr. Bettina Love: Punished for Dreaming: The Case for Abolitionist Teaching & Educational Reparations
On October 19, Albion’s Big Read welcomed Dr. Bettina Love to Albion. Dr. Love laid bare the impact of 40 years of racist public school policy on generations of Black lives and call on the US to atone for this educational harm and begin to truly educate all of its children.
YOUTH-LEAD BOOK DISCUSSION #3
OCTOBER 17, 2023
Big Read Leaders Tim, Elis’Ze, Kalin, Marcus, and Big D lead the final of our three discussions about Mighty Inside on the topics of loyalty within family and friends and nervousness. A big thank you to our amazing hosts, the Albion Branch NAACP.
YOUTH-LEAD BOOK DISCUSSION #2
OCTOBER 14, 2023
Big Read Leaders NiNi, Nay Nay, Nugget, Deethagoat, Liyah, and Soph lead the second of our three discussions about Mighty Inside focusing on the topics of frustration and emotions that come with it. A big thank you to our amazing hosts, Alpha Kappa Alpha, Inc. and Operation X.
Albion’s Little Big Read
Albion’s Big Read is continuing to expand to Harrington Elementary School. This year, we donated over 500 books to Harrington students. Our 2023 Little Big Read book is Lowriders In Space by Cathy Camper and illustrated by Raul The Third. Raul The Third came to visit students and Harrington and share his stories with them.
YOUTH-LEAD BOOK DISCUSSION #1
OCTOBER 7, 2023
Big Read Leaders Tim, Helena, Amatio, and Nay Nay lead the first of our three discussions about Mighty Inside that explored the topics of fear and kindess. The leaders also talked about the importance of names and being courageous A big thank you to our amazing hosts, the Albion Sister City Committee.
THE KICK-OFF CELEBRATION
September 30, 2023
Thank you to everyone who came out to the historic Holland Park/West Ward to celebrate the beginning of Albion's NINTH Big Read! The celebration started with a parade and continued all afternoon with circus performers, live music, student and local organizations, and local food vendors. It was a beautiful day of celebrating with friends, families, and neighbors.
BIG READ SUMMER LEADERSHIP WORKSHOP
AUGUST 7-11, 2023
During the week-long August workshop, we worked and played. We played games, ate donuts off of strings, and built "initiating exercises" that call out shared experiences in a group. We read, discussed, got confused, asked questions, stepped out of our comfort zone, and became friends. It is true that we gained tools that would help Leaders facilitate book discussions in October, but we also built a community that many of our Leaders would call their "Big Read Family." The photos below document the hard work and real joy of community building that the Big Read aims to create.
BIG READ SUMMER LEADERSHIP PROGRAM
JUNE-JULY 2023
Albion's Big Read begins long before October. During the summer, we gathered our student Leaders and college volunteers once a week for six weeks to discuss Mighty Inside by Sundee T. Frazier. Leaders played games as a way of getting to know one another and participated in exercises that increased their understanding of the novel.
