Our Community Book Club brings people together to explore how national questions of race, history, justice, and democracy have taken shape right here in our own community. Community members engage directly with the authors about their books, alongside local people and scholars who have lived, studied, and carried the histories the books illuminate. Young people are also part of the exchange, bringing their perspectives to what this history means now and helping us consider what understanding, accountability, and repair might require moving forward.

For each Community Read, Bridging the Gap puts 100 books into the hands of community members at no cost to them, helping ensure that everyone has a place in the exchange. We incorporate local artists, musicians, food vendors, historians, and community voices, transforming a traditional book discussion into an experience rooted in joy, art, shared learning, and connection. Together, we use books to connect national issues to local history, deepen our understanding of both, and imagine what we can build together.