What started as a simple vision to mobilize the bookish community has turned into an entire movement aiming to pull one million people together to read books by Black authors. In this special bonus episode, I am sitting down with Crystal, the founder and force behind Melanated Reader Forte. We dive into her One Million Black Books initiative, what it actually means to live in a post-literate society, how fast-forwarding through content is shortening our attention spans, and practical ways we can demand reprints of out-of-print Black literature while supporting indie authors.
Crystal (Melanated Reader) Forte is a 19-year educator, PhD candidate, book influencer, and community organizer. Across social media and in-person community spaces, she builds inclusive literacy initiatives that bring readers of all ages together around Black literature—from children's books to banned classics and open-door romance.
In this episode, we're discussing:
The core mission behind the One Million Black Books summer movement and how families can participate together across age groups.
What living in a post-literate society means for short-form content consumption and our daily attention spans.
Why building a sustained 35-minute daily reading habit improves critical literacy and standardized testing stamina for students.
Practical ways readers can ask publishers hard questions about backlogs and demand reprints of out-of-print Black literature.
How to support indie Black authors through platforms like Kindle Unlimited without breaking local budgets.
CONNECT WITH CRYSTAL:
BOOKS/AUTHORS MENTIONED:
Antoinette Sherelle
Wild Women Don't Wear No Blues: Black Women Writers on Love, Men, and Sex is a nonfiction collection edited by author Marita Golden
Zora Neale Hurston
J. California Cooper
K.C. Mills (They Call Him Nas)
Christina C. Jones
Alexandria House
Kennedy Ryan
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Affiliate Disclosure: Some of the links in these show notes are affiliate links. If you make a purchase or borrow a book through these links, I may earn a small commission at zero extra cost to you.
Connect with Alesia:
Storygraph
Running list of books mentioned (Doc)
This podcast was produced by Galati Media.
Proud member of the Feminist Podcasters Collective.
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