Chicago, to me, is a vibrant collection of short stories. Each neighborhood is a chapter with its own narrative, offering rich and flavorful samples of this city’s lively essence.

I'm Jurema Gorham, Founder & Executive Director of Burst Into Books. Our mission is to provide culturally relevant enrichment opportunities, engage and support the community through access to resources, and leverage the brilliance of Black people to cultivate published authors. We are all about cultural literacy, and "Remixing the Narrative" is what we do. Since 2018, we have been building, empowering and creating space for Black families.  

Our events, workshops, and programs shine a light on underinvested neighborhoods like Roseland, Auburn Gresham, Pullman, and Morgan Park. We've impacted 20,000+ families, distributed 25,000+ books, and we have measurably boosted the confidence and competence of many Black and Brown children in those communities. By introducing our kids to black and brown artists through book clubs and after-school writing labs, we have penned some real-life fairy tales.

The epic adventure of Burst Into Books has not been without its share of tests and trials. For starters, our Roseland headquarters desperately needs an upgrade. We're facing HVAC, flooring, kitchen, roof, and extensive basement repairs. In addition, we are making necessary updates to our resale bookstore and we need to expand our bathroom into a multi-stall facility. While this building is our home, after 50 years with no major renovations, it needs significant investment in order to be functional. Let’s just say, she is in need of “edits and revisions.”

On May 13, 2023, our fairy-tale took a sad plot twist. When someone broke into our site, they stole not only our plumbing pipes but they also robbed us of valuable equipment and tools that we used to maintain our beautiful community garden. Because this was an unforeseen cost, we were forced to dip into our revenue to replace the stolen pipes and equipment, which set us back approximately $10K. Unfortunately, we are still in the process of mending this and our building is currently without running water. We can truly say that we haven’t had a dull moment!

This is where you, and the other supporting characters in our village, get to collaborate with us and change the tone of our narrative. With your help, we are scripting an epic tale, and we need a total of $1 million. Picture this, your $2,500+ contribution can help us build a literary cafe! Our building has the potential to become a hub and a safe haven for our children!  

Let's continue to co-author our story with the families we serve, aiming for a functional space by June 2024. Every contribution, no matter how small, helps move us closer to writing the happy ending we all desire.

Join us in making this next chapter our best one yet!

Burst Into Books is a CPS Vendor and a 501(c)(3) nonprofit committed to helping the youth deepen their love of reading by integrating the arts, providing opportunities for them to engage with those connected to the literacy field, and creating a space for them to express themselves. We are invested in supporting the whole family unit in order to establish long-lasting change.