GLOBAL READ-A-THON 2024:
In honor of Black History Month, the Center for Studies on Africa and Its Diaspora joined the U.S. (Atlanta), The U.S Embassy in Banjul, The Gambia, The Johannes Gutenberg University Obama Institute in Mainz, Germany and Centro de Estudios Afrodiaspóricos (CEAF), Universidad Icesi in Cali, Colombia to celebrate books from Africa and the African diaspora for an epic event streamed live from Creative Media Industries Institute.
Feb 27 from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Streamed live from the Creative Media Industries Institute
25 Park Pl NE, Atlanta, GA 30303
Join the Virtual Stream
Four Countries. Six Hours. One Goal. Uniting the World Through Books
The Winner
Watch the Global Read-a-Thon
The "greatest book of all time" from the 2024 CSAD Global Read-a-Thon in Atlanta is Ralph Ellison's "Invisible Man!"
The winners in our partnering countries are:
The Gambia - "The Fire Next Time" by James Baldwin
Germany - "Adas Raum" by Sharon Dodua Otoo
Colombia - "Las estrellas son negras" by Arnoldo Palacios
Presented by award-winning former CNN Anchor and White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux and featuring Kiese Laymon, author of Heavy: An American Memoir
The 2024 Global Read-a-Thon returns with the theme The Greatest of All Time (The GOAT). This year, each participating country debated a short list of seminal works and selected “the greatest book of all time,” representing Black literature and scholarship from that country. The subjective-yet-engaging event is meant to celebrate Black History Month, promote literacy, and stimulate global cross-cultural connections.
The Contenders
The Scholars
From left to right are Drs. Elizabeth West, Corrie Claiborne, Maurice Hobson, Renée Schatteman, Lakeyta Bonnette-Bailey, and Heather I. Scott, the scholars debating the GOAT book in the United States.
Representing the US., in Atlanta, a panel of six scholars from Georgia State University, Morehouse College and Agnes Scott College will each make their case for their greatest book of all time.
Mama Day, Gloria Naylor
Beloved, Toni Morrison
Invisible Man, Ralph Ellison
Their Eyes Were Watching God, Zora Neale Hurston
The Souls of Black Folk, W.E.B. Du Bois
I know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Maya Angelou
The Judges
A three-judge panel of Georgia State University librarians voted to select two finalists; the scholars all participated in the final vote to select the winner. Each country had a similar contest to crown its own greatest book of all time, which was showcased during the live stream originating from CMII in Atlanta. Georgia State University students and the public were invited to share their own greatest book of all time.
From left to right, the judges are Lisa Vallen, Brittany Newberry and Charlene Martoni.
2024 Read-A-Thon Preview
2024 Read-A-Thon Highlights
GSU TV showcases behind the scenes at the 2024 CSAD Global Read-a-Thon
Global Read-A-Thon At a Glance
Returning as Host: Suzanne Malveaux
"When I look back, books have always been part of the arc of my life. From the time I was a child, my parents ensured my history was not just the living history of our everyday lives, but the history that stretched back centuries, to our Black ancestry. Our resilience, pride, tragedies, and triumphs were all in the books that filled our home. Today, I make sure I pass on that legacy of reading and learning to my own daughter." -- Suzanne Malveaux
Featured 2024 Author: Kiese Laymon
"The presence of all those books, all that laughter, all our lies, and your insistence I read, reread, write, and revise in those books made it so I would never be intimidated or easily impressed by words, pronunciation, sentences, paragraphs, chapters, and white space." - Kiese Laymon
Highlight of the inaugural CSAD Global Read-a-Thon 2023
2024 Read-A-Thon Schedule
Center for Studies on Africa and Its Diaspora
Atlanta, Georgia @ CMII BUILDING
10 a.m.–11 a.m.
The US Embassy
Banjul, The Gambia @ The US Embassy
11 a.m.–12 p.m.
JGU Obama Institute
Mainz, Germany @ JGU OBAMA INSTITUTE
12–1 p.m.
Centro de Estudios Afrodiaspóricos (CEAF), Universidad Icesi-Colombia
Cali, Colombia @ Centro de Estudios Afrodiaspóricos
1 p.m.-1:30 p.m.Center for Studies on Africa and Its Diaspora
Atlanta, Georgia @ CMII BUILDING
1:30-4 p.m.
This event is brought to you by the Center for Studies on Africa and Its Diaspora (CSAD), in partnership with the Creative Media Industries Institute (CMII), and support from Georgia State University Library; GSU TV; The School of Film, Media & Theater in the College of the Arts; The English Department; and featuring scholars from GSU Africana Studies, GSU English, Morehouse College, and Agnes Scott College. Mellon IAS is a co-sponsor of this event.
Contact Us
Center for Studies on Africa and Its Diaspora
Mailing address:
College of Arts & Sciences
P.O. Box 4038
Atlanta, GA 30302-4038