GREENSBORO, N.C. (WGHP) — An unconventional women’s book club is learning new ways to think about race.

This isn’t a typical book club. It’s louder, sassier and more lively than most. In fact, these ladies often do more talking than reading. The book club was started 28 years by Yolanda Leacraft as an extension of the group Women Improving Race Relations.

Leacraft helped start WIRR while working for the city of Greensboro. She says she always had the vision to create smaller groups where women could meet up and have safe spaces to talk about women’s issues and race. Her vision came to life in the form of a book club, and it has seen many women cycle in and out over the years.

“I want the community to know that everybody can have their own small group to effect good in this community,” Leacraft said.

The group is made up of women of different ages, races and ethnicities. They started meeting in public places like local YMCAs and churches in the community. But they wanted to make sure everyone felt comfortable enough to let their guard down. They began meeting in their own homes. A different member will host each month. There are food and drinks served and the ladies say it’s a comfortable environment and feels like home for everyone.

Every one of the women in the book club has committed to helping each other unlearn prejudiced and racist ideologies. They choose books that challenge what they think they know about race in America. It’s taken years to get to the point where these women are comfortable discussing a topic that makes most people squirm.

They push boundaries and ask those cringeworthy questions all to build new bonds and be better for their own children.

“This is how we learn about each other. I’ll just ask any old question from white privilege,” said Cathie Holcombe, a co-founder of the book club.

“I remember I asked my mom when I was growing up here in Greensboro, ‘why are the Black people sitting at the back of the bus? Why can’t they just come up front?’ And she said, ‘it’s just the way it is.’ So when laws started getting changed, I thought, things will change. Then it hit me. Why should my life look just like my mother’s when now we are able, we know we can make change? She didn’t know that she could,” Holcombe said.

Getting over their discomfort has given these women more than just lessons about race, now they have each other.

“I just learned that I who thought I was really progressive, wasn’t. I really had a lot to learn,” one of the members said.

“This is a safe place to be contradicted, or to be challenged or to be informed,” another member said.

The WIRR book club meets on the 4th Sunday of each month. They welcome women of all ages to join. For more information about attending the next meeting, contact Catherine Holcombe at 336-250-4348.