Past Events

"I was thrilled to be a part of the Nubian Book Club. Seeing young people reading for pleasure during their summer holidays, and the community support that was given to them, restored my faith in the potential of our youth, and what is actually possible."

It is indeed an honour and privilege to endorse the Nubian book Club, as my family and I have been involved with the club since it’s inception in……….. The Nubian Book Club has proven to be a model of empowerment and capacity building for educators, parents, and students. It has provided opportunities for us to engage in brave conversations about equity, inclusion and black joy. It has created a safe and empowering space for members to learn, meet and greet each other locally, nationally, and internationally. The fellowship and networking have been affirming, rich with information, resources and most of all friendship and collegiality. As a retired Superintendent of Education, the Nubian Book Club has been a wonderful place for continued learning, revitalization, and connectedness.

Congratulations and thanks to the organizing team for continuing to model collaborative learning. community support and black educator solidarity and courage!

I strongly encourage anyone who is a black educator, parent, or student, to join, participate and be affirmed in the Nubian Book Club."

"The Nubian Book Club has been a cornerstone in the Markham community for the past two decades. It has brought together youth, parents and others to foster a sense of pride in having a Black or racialized identity. The topics discussed are germane to informing and enriching the unique experiences of being a minority in North America.  It has brought together an intergenerational group that might not otherwise have an opportunity to be in the same place at the same time to discuss in a specific way topics that are often not discussed elsewhere. The Nubian Book Club is a lighthouse that guides youths to a safe harbour. May it always be used as a beacon in finding the forward."

"Nubian Book club is the embodiment of community uplift. What Donna and her team have achieved is incomparable.

She has created a space that allows for brilliance, normalcy and joy to thrive in equal parts, building critical literacy skills, collective understanding of the complexities of Blackness in a Eurocentric space and community empowerment to leverage these skills to have impact. My children and I grew as a direct result of our time in NBC and I wish for all in our community to experience the same."

"Nubian Book Club is family. It’s a dynamic open source collective of community that celebrates intellectual engagement, oral and literary expression - all in the highest form of educational enlightenment. It‘s a home to genuine fellowship, profitable mindful exchange and invaluable peer to peer learning, collaboration and friendship.

I am better for my involvement in NuBC over many years. Thank you Donna for making a monumental and invaluable contribution in the lives of our community."

"The Nubian book club has been an integral part of my personal and professional development. I have been attending these sessions hosted by the incredible Donna Cardoza since its inception. I was only a teenager at the time with the dreams and aspiration of becoming a high school teacher. These sessions allowed me to fulfil my goal through the education from the various guest speakers that share with us their expertise. If there is one word that the Nubian book club resonates with me is the word empowerment. They say knowledge is power and this knowledge is achieved through discussions and the collective efforts of engaged attendees from different walks of life, with their own unique life experiences. Now, I get to not only learn, but also apply the teachings and information in my classroom, and school to engage and support the community around me."

Over the last 15 years, the Nubian Book Club has been and is a staple in my family's experience of ourselves, community, and ancestral ways of knowing and being. The Nubian Book Club is a refuge of replenishment, affirmation, learning, and joy! We are forever grateful to Donna (Cardoza) and team for craving out such a sacred space for community to retreat to; an enclave that nurtures the soul as the mind is made aware and healed. My sons were raised in the ways of the Nubian Book Club!

My eldest has since earned his real-estate license and is currently studying Urban Planning at York University, while my youngest is on the verge of graduating from high school with early acceptance to UofT's chemical engineering program. Academics aside, what my boys (and family) gained from Nubian Book Club is beyond accolades and other forms of worldly acknowledgments, and indeed, beyond the mere descriptor of words.

Thank you Donna (and team)! Thank you Nubian Book Club, on behalf of family and community! 

.“Dear Donna, ....I wish to express my heartfelt gratitude once more for what the Nubian book club has done for our school. I participated in the National Teaching Awards for 2018. I obtained position 1 at district level. This gave me the opportunity to represent my district against other 4 districts in the Free State province. I won the provincial contest and had a chance to represent my province against the other 8 provinces in our country. On the 13th of November 2018 I went for adjudication. The results will be released on national television. The most important fact that made me a winner among other things is the library stocked with the precious books from Canada. The learners at school participate actively in reading program that I have initiated after the books were delivered at our school. I am very proud of what you did for our school.”  

Since it’s Inceptions the Nubian Book Club has been a highlight of my summer. Every summer, I am reminded by the beauty, wisdom and ambition of my local black community. This has been an important part in the development of my confidence as a teen and now as an adult- allowing me to sing on Canadas biggest stages.

The Nubian Book Club bringing out the Best in Books.

During the past three summers I had the privilege to participate with the Nubian Book Club. The things that I enjoyed most were the keen discussions generated from the books, the camaraderie that the students and adults shared, and the ultimate joy to see a group of youth simply reading for the pleasure of reading. The Nubian Book Club is a great model for others to emulate, as it brings out the best in books. 

A Reading nation is a Winning Nation!

My experience at the Nubian Book Club was phenomenal; the club bridges the generation gap through reading and encourages open dialogue in an environment where youth feel safe to share their perspectives and stories with adults.  Great people, great dialogue and great food are always a formula for an enriching event.