Members of the Sinclair community and book lovers in the Dayton area are being given a chance to celebrate Black Love Day this Feb. 15. This year the annual event is being commemorated with an insightful and engaging book discussion highlighting the importance of forgiveness and healing.
Organized under the theme ‘Black Love Heals 365’, participants will get a chance to analyze “The Book of Forgiving: The Fourfold Path for Healing Ourselves and Our World” by Desmond Tutu and Mpho Tutu. Copies of the critically acclaimed book are being provided by Sinclair’s Diversity Office.
Speaking to The Clarion, Black Love Day organizer Professor Vonya Lewis-Thornton, said, “The event was created to enhance Valentine’s Day with elements that were more targeted at people of color. This year, we decided to host a book discussion instead of a program and it was Professor Lisa Tyler that suggested we look at The Book of Forgiving. It fit so well with our theme because it talks about how forgiveness is an essential part in healing the self, the community, and the world.”
Lewis-Thornton confirmed that the first 40 people that registered for the event will receive a free copy of the book. Additionally, eight people are scheduled to be on hand to facilitate the discussion.
Related article: African American Culture Club Hosts Black Love Day
“I hope people understand after reading the book that forgiveness is first of all a process,” said Lewis-Thornton. “I want everyone to walk away from the discussion knowing that we all do things that need to be forgiven, we all have had people we need to forgive. It’s ok if that forgiveness isn’t immediate. There is a process that we each go through particularly when people have hurt us or we have hurt people deeply.”
Written with his daughter and fellow activist Mpho, the late Desmond Tutu wrote the 250 page book as a manual on healing and transformation, according to its publisher. An instrumental figure in South Africa’s fight against apartheid, the Nobel laureate draws on his years of experience throughout the best-seller to offer keen insight on the importance of forgiving and the steps required to get there.
Prospective participants can register for the discussion here:
https://ctlevents.sinclair.edu/calendar/black-love-day-a-book-discussion/. Entry is free.
Ismael Mujahid
Reporter