Hey all and thanks SO MUCH for joining us for our month-long anniversary celebration. 10 Years and counting!!
Our site was down this morning, so we’re a bit delayed kicking things off, but we are here and ready to go!! Our actual anniversary is on the 16th, and yes, we’re celebrating 10 years of our literary group, online book club and our members as a whole. It’s been a wonderful, wonderful ride!
Today, we’re opening up with a testimony from Hope Murphy, one of our members and guest reviewer, and we’d love you to share your experiences with RAWSISTAZ, too! What’s been your most memorable thing? What do you look forward to? And yes, what would you like to see us change or incorporate? Let’s hear from ya!
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Tribute to RAWSISTAZ – Happy 10 Year Anniversary!!!
By Hope Murphy
Five years ago, I was a recently separated, single mother of a 21 month old. At the time, I was also in search of a venue that would allow me to share my love of reading and of books with other women that wouldn’t necessarily require me to attend a face-to-face book club meeting as childcare was (and still is) a challenge.
One day while reading an article in Essence or Ebony (I can’t remember the exact publication at the moment), I saw a blurb about RAWSISTAZ – Reading and Writing SISTAZ. The group was comprised of mainly African-American women who shared a love for reading and discussing mainly African-American contemporary novels. I was like, “This is for me!” The article contained contact info. for RAWSISTAZ so that one could express interest in joining the group. I quickly went to Yahoo, created a Yahoo groups account and submitted my interest in joining the group. I didn’t think that my application would be accepted at the time because it wasn’t one of the group’s quarterly recruiting times.
Imagine my surprise when, a couple days later, I was invited to join the group! I was so excited. I remember running (literally) to the nearest bookstore to purchase the book-of-the-month – The Sisterhood of Blackberry Corner by Andrea Smith. The members of the group welcomed me with opened arms – “Welcome to the RAWHouz, Hope!”; “Sit back and relax and get your RAW on!!” and similar messages of endearment were showered upon me. Though this was an online group, the women went out of their way to quickly bring me into the fold.
Fast forward 5 years…I am still a member of this wonderful, dynamic and close-knit sisterhood of readers, writers and friends. In the time that I have been a member of the group, I have “met” women from all across the United States, I have discussed books with the authors of the books and my library has increased tremendously….to the detriment of my living space and my pocketbook (smile). The library has always been a friend of mine, but since being a member of this group, I regularly patrol the new releases sites and have fallen in love with the interlibrary loan program. My TBR (to be read) pile is miles long these days and I simply do not have enough time to get in all of the wonderful recommendations that are shared on an almost daily basis. My literary appetite has changed in the time that I’ve been with the group. Christian fiction, historical fiction and more literary reads are my favs, but I will occasionally pick up an urban fiction book, suspense/mystery novel, etc. just to mix things up. I am also a member of RAW4ALL and guest reviewer for the RAW Reviewers. Our literary discussions are interesting…and at times heated. All opinions are welcomed. Just because we’re mostly African-American women in our 30s, 40s and 50s, don’t let that fool ya. We DO NOT have the same opinions, same interests or the same thoughts about books. What works for you, doesn’t necessarily work for me. And guess what? That’s o-k-a-y. We’re still RAWSISTAZ.
But the group does not simply discuss all things literary. We support each other in other ways. It’s not unusual for a member to share a personal issue that they are battling and for others to chime in with words of encouragement, spiritual and wise counsel, possible solutions…or to simply lend a listening ear. I have shared things with this group that only those in my innermost circle know about…but that’s okay, because these are my RAWSISTAZ.
I have not had the pleasure of meeting any of the women that I chat with on a daily/weekly basis. But I consider them to be my RAWSISTAZ. My life has been greatly enriched by RAWSISTAZ and I am so happy to be a part of the 10-year celebration. I look forward to meeting my RAWSISTAZ in October at the RAW Affair.
Until then, get your RAW on!!!!
- Hope Murphy
Hope, when you first sent this to me, I was moved. I was also having a very stressful day, so it came right on time. When RAWSISTAZ started, it was very important to me that members had a “home away from home”. Many of us had never met, but we connected immediately through the love of books and even though it’s 10 years later, many of us are still here, are close friends, and yep, we still love books. I appreciate you sharing this with me and for letting me use it to kick off our celebration.
Thank you, thank you! Our lives have been enriched by you too and I look forward to growing old with you and my other RAWSISTAZ!
-Tee
Wonderful tribute Hope. Proud to be your Sista.
Wonderful piece.
I found out about RAWSistaz after seeing their reviews on Amazon frequently. I used wonder who are they. So I did a search and found RAWSistaz on Yahoo Groups. I was added to RAWSistaz group 3 and then I met local book readers and we had a chapter that lasted about 4 years.
I have to say I have met tons of folks, some even in person and it is great. I never had anyone who I could REALLY talk about my reading, so when I joined the group, it felt good. And the biggest part was being able to connect to my fav authors and even meet some of them. I have gotten great advice, made friends with readers/writers and even gotten support.
I love reading and to share that love with others, understand is an awesome thing. Now, I don’t feel like the oddball bookworm, who had no one to talk about books.
HAPPY 10TH ANNIVERARY RAWSISTAZ.
Well said Hope…I discovered RAW over four years ago when I first starting publishing my work and what I learned in RAW4All was immeasurable, and the support by RAWSISTAZ of my work over the past year has been humbling, Tee and RAWISTAZ rock! I will post a tribute on RAMBLINGS my blog.
I cannot believe it has been 7 years since I found RAW. Wow! I love when I used to wear my RAW shirt (need a new one) and folks would ask me what was RAW. LOL. I have told many people about RAW and love some have joined.
Beautifully written Hope!!
Beautifully said. And my sentiments, exactly.
Thanks for sharing your experience Hope! I came across RAWSISTAZ in another way. After months of pressure from my husband about cutting out my monthly book budget, he suggested that I get into reviewing books and he found RAWSISTAZ online. I sent Tee a email and asked if she had any opening…but she didn’t. She referred me to someone else but mention that I join the group during the next quarterly opening and I did! I’ve loved the conversations ever since. As part of the group, I now keep track of the books I complete; read outside my genre comfort zone; share information about books with others on a regular basis; and share a special connection with the members of RAWSISTAZ. I’m a firm believer that there is a power in numbers and when we come together we can read with purpose…to support African American Authors! Thanks Tee for the vision, your years of hard work and dedication and the spirit to share reading with the world.
I initially became a member of RAWSISTAZ a little after it began. The way I found the group was through Yahoo search and when the group name popped up I knew I had to join. The rapport between all the women was amazing and finally I found a group of women who enjoyed reading books as much as I did. Always an avid reader, it was an absolute thrill to discover the many AA authors writing compared to 20 years ago, and I owe all that to RAWSISTAZ. I unjoined the group for a few years and rejoined three years ago and now I have the pleasure of being a team reviewer of the RAWSISTAZ Reviewers.
Tee, has done such a spectular job of organizing, maintaining the RAWSISTAZ site, and keeping us in the know. She is a phenomenal woman who wears many hats and without her perservance and dedication, RAWSISTAZ wouldn’t be. So Tee…I raise my glass of wine to you!!!! LOL!!!
I pray that one day I will get to meet all the beautiful women I talk to daily in the group.
Hope, Like you I wanted a site I could go to from my computer after being in a group that had meetings on Saturdays and after they disbanded I was lost and I tried other groups but I still felt a void, because they generally only discussed certain authors and certain genres which did not impress me, and being a childhood friend of Alvin Romer of Romer Review and he told me about Raw and Tee so cherish his suggestions on books and anything literary and I went straight to join Raw4All after living in Atlanta for so long I could relate to things Tee would say and books and authors I started to get familiar with and with suggestions of Tee and Raw would go to local events, festivals and book signings. Then after relocating to Ca, Raw became my best friend because I knew no one here so I would go to Raw to connect with friends online and discuss books and just read remarks and then after finding a job, I would read at lunch and coworkers would ask me about books I would suggest to then to join Raw and read reviews because we all are not interested in same genres and now that I have been on disability and do not read as much I still go to Raw everyday and participate in all things and I have so many books to read, so not it is back to Raw being my best friend everyday and having somewhere to spend time during the day now that I am not able to drive without someone with me.
Congrats to Tee and all my Rawsistaz on our 10th anniversary.
I can honestly say my sistaz have been there for me…through my divorce and the death of my mother, my daughter’s college graduation and the birth of my beautiful granddaughter…yes through the good and the bad, my Rawsistaz have been there for me.
I never knew there were others like me…yeah “book addicts”. My love for reading has multiplied and my choice of different genres has grown because of reviews from my sistaz. I’ve formed relationships in this group with women that are truly my sisters from another mother. Should Rawsistaz ever end, I know that our bonds shall last forever….and I thank you for that Tee.
I told Tee once that if you look up the word sister in the dictionary one of the definitions would be Rawsistaz…..well here it is…..
http://www.merriam-webster.com/browse/dictionary/sister
Definition of SISTER
a female who has one or both parents in common with another
a girl or woman regarded as a comrade b : a girl or woman who shares with another a common national or racial origin; especially : a black girl or woman
one that is closely similar to or associated with another
Definition of SISTERHOOD
The state of being a SISTER b : sisterly relationship
A community or society of SISTERS;
Especially: a society of women in a group based on shared conditions, experiences, or concerns.
If those definitions are not of a Rawsista I don’t know what is…We’re all of them and more.
I can’t wait to see my Raw family in October, catch up with some and finally meet others.
A special congratulations to you Tee because my life is richer and certainly more blessed because I’m a Rawsista.
One of my fondest memories of support was when I had problems getting my daughter help for her reading. Once I did, there were not alot of books that interested her. Then one day Naleighna Kai said she would give her books for free. She sent them express mail and they were on our porch Christmas day. We were both surprised on a snowy Xmas morning to find a package. My daughter read every book. Now the rest is history. My daughter went from hating reading to loving it.
Hope, you’ve summed up what I feel for Tee and RAWSISTAZ. Let’s sing, y’all, and yes, I’m shouting, “WE ARE FAMILY, I GOT ALL MY SISTAZ (AND BROTHERS) AND ME. WE ARE FAMILY, GET UP EVERYBODY AND SING!
LOVE YOU TEE AND RAW SISTAZ. HERE’S TO MANY MANY MORE ANNIVERSARIES.
RAWSISTAZ,
Wow, ten years! What a blessing for as we know book clubs, may they be online or not, come and go like the wind. I’ve been apart of the RAW family since 2006 and I must say that I am honored to be associated with such a distinguished group.
Tee, you’re the best and any accolades you receive along the way are truly well deserved. To the reviewers, keep being the best in the business by giving honest and unbiased reviews that the industry and readers alike have come to depend on. To the members, I love the bantering back forth on the posts, especially when they become heated. : ) Being the passionate people that we can all be at times, you all remain respectful by agreeing to disagree and I just love that.
May God continue to smile upon RAWSISTAZ’S agenda of promoting literacy with many, many more years to come.
Luv you RAWSISTAZ!
Lesley E. Hal, member for life!
I remember years ago I spend a lot of time over at yahoo groups. I had moved to another state and didn’t know anyone. Some kind of way I came across RAW4ALL and knew I had found a wonderful group of people. There were some great and not so great discussions but I still found myself there constantly. I also found myself drawn to this lady name Tee, maybe it’s because she took my name and I couldn’t sign my post as Tee or maybe it was her love of all things books, most likely it’s a combination of the two plus more like her LUV for SU
Who knows? Either way, I figured out about a smaller group of members that were a part of RAWSISTAZ and I knew I wanted to be a part of the other group that like a sisterhood. I remember thinking “Tee is going to do great and wonderful things for the book world and I would love to be a part of it, no matter how small.” I want to be a RAWSISTAZ, dangit. I remember applying years ago I think in 2000 (I know Tee was still in the military). I don’t remember the waiting period but I was overjoyed when I was accepted. After jumping right in, I knew I wasn’t part of a group I was part of a FAMILY. During the years, I’ve been a member I’ve grown closer to many of the members and have nothing but love for Tee, the Royal family, and all my RAWSISTAZ.
Tee, I just want to say YOU ARE A BEAUTIFUL, CARING, and WONDERFUL person. Thank you for all the sacrifices you have made, all the joy you’ve given, all the books you’ve added to my shelf but not for all the money I’ve spent on them. Kudos to RAWSISTAZ and many more years of success.
Literary Wonders!, Literary Wonders Kids!, LW Media and Bryant Consulting would like to wish Tee C. Royal and RAWSISTAZ Literary Group a very Happy 10th Anniversary.
My memory fails me a bit, but I believe it was 2005 when I joined RAWSISTAZ. I cannot tell you how I found out about RAWSISTAZ except to say that I came across them during research for my first novel. Since that day, I have found RAWSISTAZ to be exceptionally resourceful and valuable to my career as an author and a writer. I have always be a mediocre reader, meaning I may read 1-3 books a month. Now I can say, I am trying to stay up with the challenges that this literary group has awarded me. Now, I find myself reading more and reading genres and items of interest that I would have never considered before. Being a part of this awesome group of reader and writers has given me a chance to meet many other writers—first time and well known. I have had access to many readers with varied viewpoints who have been supportive of my career. I have shared many years of my life trials and milestones and I’ve made so many great friends, and have grown sisterhood and brotherhood bonds that are still strong to this very day.
Need I remind some of you that it was during the 2007 RAW AFFAIR that not only did I leave with tons of books, valuable information, and good times, I left with a husband. I thought I’d just throw that in there. Where else can you go, meet exceptional authors, talk about great books, fellowship, have fun, accumulate black mail photos, accumulate great books and a great husband?
RAWSISTAZ’s founder Tee C. Royal, well, there aren’t enough words to express her support of literature as it pertains to African-Americans and African-American communities. Mrs. Royal has done a fantastic job in keeping this legacy intact with her undying commitment to authors and readers and promotion. Many of us know that had it not been for Tee and RAWSISTAZ, your reading would be non-existent, your dreams and motivation to write would have diminished, and your passion for the literary industry would be lacking.
There have been many times that I have called on Tee for help and she has always been there. She has always been eager to help in spite of her busy and meticulous schedule. Even during the times I would not dream of bothering her with my petty little problems, she knows me well enough to “tell” me she is going to help me whether I like it or not. I cannot put a price tag on her friendship. In addition to RAWSISTAZ, she created RAW Reviewers, GIS (Getting in Shape RAWSISTAZ) and TLL (Techy RAWSISTAZ). She has helped many with her Literary Agency (Royal Literary Agency) and the list goes on and on and on! I tease her, but I am convinced that she has at least a dozen Superwoman capes and even more pairs of Wonder Woman boots in her closet. In addition to all that she does, she still manages to be a devoted wife and an awesome soccer mom to her two beautiful children.
To RAWSISTAZ and Tee C. Royal, I say thank you. I will always be grateful for your commitment, passion, hard work and endurance to prove to the “other” folk that African-Americans do read, like to read and are literary intelligent and educated. To the Royals, I thank you for sharing her with us.
My dear RAWSISTAZ and Tee C. Royal, the ultimate RAWSISTAZ, my prayer for you during this 10th year anniversary is that all those seeds that you have so diligently sowed are reaped with sweet nectar and reward. You deserved to be recognized as you are the premier leader in this industry and all others should strive to be only half of what your have become and represent. Here’s to another ten great memorable years. It is my prayer that I will see you all in October to take part and be a part of RAWSISTAZ history as we show our appreciation and make this a RAW AFFAIR and a RAWSISTAZ anniversary that will never be forgotten!
Yolanda, I was at the RA W Affair 2007 and I remember how much fun it was. LOL. Some of us raised an eyebrow at you and Greg, you too gelled together so well. LOL.
Happy 10th Anniversary Tee and the ladies of RAW.
Hope your article was touching and it moved me to a time when I was one of the first few members of RAW, You all have really done a good thing and I thank you for being there promoting the births of many authors and giving readers a taste of whats to come in the book they just purchased.
Keep celebrating one another, keep reading and reviewing!!!
Awww Missy, thank you too, sis! We’ll have to get together with you and Reader’s Paradise and do something. I’d love to actually meet you in person.
Whenever I’m asked why and how I began to write, I always give credit to RAWSISTAZ. I was always an avid reader, and when I discovered this group full of readers and writers, it was literary heaven. It was also an inspiration – with authors always willing and ready to help a person new to the world of writing with opportunities and advice. I still have the notes from that first writing workshop – they became the foundation for my first pubished novel. Here’s a toast in gratitude to Tee’ s mission, her vision and to the members of RAWSISTAZ. Ten more years and more!
Niambi, I’m not sure how I missed this, but THANKS!!! I’m so proud of you and look forward to reading the new book.