BIPOC Booksellers Invited to Join a Dedicated Coffee Break on September 3

The next American Booksellers Association Coffee Break meeting space for BIPOC — Black, Indigenous, or People of Color — booksellers and bookstore owners to gather for connection, support, community, resources, and networking will be held on Thursday, September 3, at 6:00 p.m. ET on Zoom. BIPOC allies and booksellers who do not identify as BIPOC should not plan to attend.

The results of a July survey indicated that opinions were evenly split on whether there should be a facilitator for these virtual coffee breaks. While the past two sessions were not facilitated, this session will be facilitated by Chief Executive and Founder of Diversity Decoder Linda Dunbar, a PR and corporate communications consultant and executive with global Fortune 500 experience.

“Linda is a skilled facilitator and communicator. Identifying as a Black-American, Afro-Caribbean, and Jamaican-American woman with a background in publishing, she has an understanding of some of the topics that participants may want to discuss,” said ABA CEO Allison Hill. “We anticipate participants on the call utilizing Linda’s skills and insights to help facilitate and inform the discussion in whatever way they choose in the moment, and in whatever way serves the group.”

ABA staff will not be in attendance. However, Zoom logistics require someone to be the “host” of the session. For that reason, ABA is seeking a volunteer from those planning to attend to assume the role of host. 

Booksellers and store owners interested in attending should email [email protected] for the Zoom information; please include a note if you’re willing to act as host. Note: This session has a session-specific password, so be sure to email for details.