At The Fortune Society, Women Rising expands across Fortune’s array of services, providing career readiness training, parenting workshops, mental health services and more for women seeking reentry assistance.    

Women Rising empowers participants to express themselves authentically through creative programming like the storytelling workshop and, more recently, the Women Rising Book Club. Last week, the book club hosted its first meeting in the JoAnne Page Women’s Lounge, where several Women Rising participants gathered to read and discuss Becoming by Michelle Obama.  

Doris, the Senior Case Manager for Women Rising, facilitated last week’s meeting and will continue to lead the book club on Wednesdays. She aims to empower the women who are a part of the group and encourage important conversations about identity, hope and perseverance.  

At the first meeting, the women read the book’s preface. They shared what they already knew about Michelle and what they hope to learn as they continue to read. During each meeting, the women will read each chapter together, going over what they learned and their thoughts as the book progresses.  

To start the meeting, the women in the book club expressed their admiration for Michelle as a powerful and intelligent leader. Queen, a Women Rising participant, views Michelle as a role model. She admires her determination and strength, and she looks forward to learning more about her life.  

The conversation about the book was impactful, and for several of the women, some of Michelle’s struggles felt particularly relevant. Doris shared her favorite quote from the preface. It read, “Since stepping reluctantly into public life, I’ve been held up as the most powerful woman in the world and taken down as an ‘angry black woman.’ I’ve wanted to ask my detractors which part of that phrase matters to them the most— is it ‘angry’ or ‘black’ or ‘woman’?” 

This quote prompted an important discussion. The women were asked to share what part of Michelle’s identity they believed was the most offensive to those who belittled her. They agreed that her very existence, regardless of label, sparked hatred and debate, and this struggle felt relatable to some of the women who may have been given similarly harsh labels.  

Having these poignant conversations is one of the main goals of the book club. By talking about a role model like Michelle Obama, the women will hopefully learn from her story and identify key takeaways they can apply to their own lives, including being strong and professional, remaining confident in the face of adversity and staying true to themselves.  

The Women Rising Book Club is always open to new members. If you are interested in joining the group, or learning more about Women Rising, stop by the JoAnne Page Women’s Lounge at our Long Island City service center, or reach out to Doris Lorenzo for more information.