The Tulsa chapter of Sisters Sippin’ Tea Literary Group is committed to providing an opportunity for women from all walks of life to come together for a common and primary goal…reading and promoting literacy through our community outreach programs. Our pledge is to transmit our passion for literary pursuits to future generations.
BPM: How did your organization develop? How many members are in the group?
The African American Resource Center was hosting Roslyn McMillan and extended an invitation for people to read three of her books and we would meet once a month for three months prior to her visit to discuss. We had an awesome time and wanted the group to continue but because of prior commitments and time constraints the AARC Coordinator could not commit. A couple of us located book clubs but they were not a good fit, they lacked structure and consistency. Several months later I attended a weekend Literary Retreat with two friends at a secluded B & B in Texas hosted by Sistah Circle Book Club. We had an awesome time. I decided then that if we couldn’t find what we were looking for I would get a few ladies together and we would discuss starting our own club. My vision was to form a sisterhood who shared a passion for reading, promoting literacy and making a difference in our community. We began as Emerging Minds Books and More.
After a few months I started investigating national book clubs and brought the idea to the group of becoming affiliated with a national group where we could broaden our literary experiences and connect with other sistah’s from all around the globe. I provided the group information on three national organizations and it was a unanimous decision that we join up with Sisters Sippin’ Tea; it’s been a wonderful journey every since! The Tulsa chapter currently has 11 members.
BPM: What is the primary mission of the group?
SST is dedicated to promoting literacy in our community. We are actively involved in various activities that are geared towards raising literacy awareness through mentoring, counseling and outreach programs.