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The African American Women of Destiny Book Club
Pictured above is not your average book club. They are a group of powerful, philanthropic, and insightful women who have collectively read 154 books since their first meeting in October 1995.
Nearly 30 years ago, Judge Patricia Barron was a founding member of the African American Professional Women’s Book Club. In 2003, she (along with several other members) began meeting under the name African American Women of Destiny Book Club, or AAWD, with Dr. Katheryn B. Davis, DSW, at the helm. The books these women read are catalysts for discussions around difficult topics that affect all our lives, environments, and communities. The books, written primarily by African American authors, range in themes and writing styles. Every book club meeting holds the same purpose: the power of communication among women who seek to make a positive difference in their community. Ironically, this theme directly relates to Piedmont Healthcare’s motto to "make a positive difference in every life we touch."
The AAWD Book Club acknowledges the highs and lows of life. Since 2016, the book club has donated to the Loran Smith Center for Cancer Support to recognize the loss of two of its members they hold dear: Dr. Bettye Smith and Mrs. Margaret Tribble. The common thread between these two individuals is a diagnosis of cancer.
Since its inception, the Loran Smith Center for Cancer Support has provided guidance and healing to cancer patients and their families at no cost. The Loran Smith Center for Cancer Support relies on the generosity of donors to provide programs, therapies, and workshops to any cancer patient in the community (even if they are not a Piedmont patient).
When you ask the AAWD ladies about the influence of their annual donation – they feel the impact it makes in the lives of cancer patients. As Judge Barron, a breast cancer survivor, shares, “I know our gifts make a positive difference when I look around the room during a yoga class or medication seminar and I think: we have made an impact here in this room.”
The AAWD book club now welcomes two new book club members since Bettye and Margaret’s passing: Linda Brawner and Janet Barron. Their hope is to continue building on the legacy of their book club, meaningful conversations, and philanthropy in action.
