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While the pandemic may have initially brought many efforts to a halt, it has reinforced a long-held truth that reading is fundamental. To witness it, join the Visible Man Review book club on the last Thursday of every month is needed.

VMR includes a diverse range of black men between the ages of 30 and 75, and features a variety of occupations, including engineers, artists, art collectors, lawyers, and educators. Kenwood attorney Alex Breland launched Book His Club in January 2021 as a way to connect during a time of isolation. Breland initially reached out to friends and colleagues of his.

“This is a play on Ralph Ellison’s book The Invisible Man,” Breland said of the book club’s name. “The idea was that we were visible, which is black men. It’s about figuring out how to make it visible.”

Alex Breland, founder of The Visible Man Review book club, speaks with the group on August 25, 2022 in Chicago. (Vincent D. Johnson/Chicago Tribune)

The group met on Zoom in the early stages, but has since met in person. So, on a breezy summer evening in August, VMR members would gather on the patio of Bran’s Gallery in Bronzeville to share drinks, smiles, and jokes before Philip his Ross’ “Conspiracy Against America.”

In delving into literature such as John Thompson’s “I Came as A Shadow,” Chinua Achebe’s “Things Fall Apart,” Matt Johnson’s “Incognegro,” and Dawn Turner’s “Three Girls From Bronzeville,” VMR’s Members talked about religion. Youth, generational divisions, and men trying to make their own way in the world. Breland said he knew he was on to something when John Thompson’s book co-author Jesse Washington was invited to the discussion, and he called for three hours.

“This makes sense and confirms that it needs to continue,” Breland said. “It’s a group of black men dedicated to reading and discussion. There’s very little space for me to interact with that realm.”

Breland sought to curate VMR into an experience where all 20+ members could have a say. The books are chosen by monthly votes and everyone is encouraged to nominate a book. The majority of authors and books focus on the African diaspora. Breland said she recommended Disha Filiau’s “The Secret Lives of Church Ladies.” Because I wanted to see how the group would react to a short story that was “very focused on queer experiences.”

This is not just heart-pounding for us. It’s learning,” Breland said. “We have to challenge each other. I mean we’re talking, how else do you get this?”

“This” is a safe place for black men and their experiences, not a way to watch sports together, where friendships, connections, and community exist. A book club is a face-to-face interaction, as opposed to a shoulder-to-shoulder interaction in which the man pays attention to something else and isn’t really involved.

Originally from Austin and living in the South Loop, Marcus Thomas has been with VMR since its inception. He said that while reading is an everyday reality, it’s not something black men talk about or share with each other. I said there was no one.

“The idea of ​​sharing it with someone never crossed my mind. I read all the time, but it was a personal activity,” Thomas said. It will help. I can’t remember doing it outside of a structured classroom for recreation before joining this book club. ”

Similar to social media (Instagram @visiblemanreview and Twitter), word of mouth increased VMR numbers. @visiblemanview). Breland says the VMR is worth sharing. The more, the better. Thomas said people were positively surprised to see the book club in action when the VMR was meeting in public.

“We realized very early on that there was power in this kind of social expression among black men and what it represented,” said Thomas. We’ve had a lot of discussions about how it magnifies and affects people other than us. That’s it.”

Sean Agyeman (left) laughs as Mashon Alston (middle) and Patrick McCoy share their thoughts on a portion of the book at the Visible Man Review Book Club meeting in Chicago on August 25, 2022. . (Vincent D. Johnson/Chicago Tribune)

Otis Woods, a 30-year-old policy fellow at Leadership for Educational Equity, said VMRs are about thinking about identity, masculinity, our relationship with black women, our relationship with white society, our understanding of our community, and fatherhood and brotherhood. I said I read a book that would help me. As someone who likes to pick people’s brains, Woods sought out book clubs.

“I really want to learn,” said Woods of West Inglewood. “I love hearing about older black men and their experiences and how they perceive the world.”

Educational consultant Stephen McClane, 38, said Visible Man Review has created a sacred space for black men, where they talk about paternity, relationships, jobs, race, current events, and talk about them. Everything can be handled from different perspectives.McLain said clubs provide a sense of belonging.

A Hyde Park resident said, “I see it as a healing space more than anything else.” , has spawned a debate about how we can heal.

“Another part that I think is really important is the focus on the black business. When we meet every month, we’re meeting in the black business. …we’re buying something, Whatever it is, I hear the owners talk about their mission.We had a black sommelier come over and introduce us to black wines.We’ve been to art galleries.These are all really important beyond literature and to black culture.”

North Kenwood resident and activist art collector Patrick McCoy, 75, raved about VMR and encouraged others to participate. He said the fact that the book club is for black men is important.

McCoy, co-founder of the nonprofit arts group Diasporal Rhythms, said the conversation took an unexpected turn while reading “Three Girls from Bronzeville.” .

“Many of the men in the group have daughters, so we started talking about the concept of men fathering daughters. It’s an issue I’ve never heard a black man talk about.” The problems men experience are all over the world and until now we didn’t have a mechanism to talk about them.

Breland agreed, saying VMR is an environment where black men can embrace and express themselves fully.

“As black men, we struggle to bring ourselves all together in one place,” he said. “More than any other environment I’ve been in, it’s the only place where I feel like I can do it all in one place. I can be my lawyer, my father, my artist.” It’s a safe place to do everything, which I think is great.”

drockett@chicagotribune.com