The Mother of All Black Book Clubs: After 13 years, Go on Girl! has become a national presence with more than 300 members in 12 states.

Thirteen years ago, Tracy Mitchell-Brown opened the doors of her Brooklyn brownstone and invited a circle of friends to join her in a monthly celebration of black literature. They named themselves the Go on Girl! Book Club, Inc. and affirmed their cultural identity by adopting a logo of a little girl with dreadlocks engrossed in reading a book.

"When we started in 1991, we never envisioned growing beyond the twelve of us," Mitchell-Brown says. "However, as time progressed, members relocated to different cities and states, and friends and relatives became interested in joining." New chapters came into existence through kinship ties, media attention, seminars and word of mouth. The group quickly grew to include more than 300 members in 12 states, and the Go on Girl! Book Club evolved into the country's largest reading group for black women.

"We have a significant impact on the publishing world," says Mitchell-Brown. "By our very size and existence, we prove African Americans buy books, read and discuss them. As a result, publishers began giving us more of what we crave--a diverse selection of books about us and by us."

Yet, with 30 or more chapters reading the same book each month, choosing titles is no easy feat. Governed by comprehensive bylaws and a board of directors with representatives from each chapter, the group uses genre committees to identify book titles. It also writes letters to publishers, offering critiques, support and words of encouragement. "Authors know that when we really like something, we will support it, and they seek us out," adds Mitchell-Brown. "Not only do we buy the book, we spread the word like wildfire, among our friends and relatives. We come out, often in groups, to readings and special events just to get our books signed and to have a chance to talk with the authors."