The Office of Diversity and Inclusion is sponsoring a book club which will open a dialogue toward race relations.

The book “Time for the Truth: Race in Minnesota,” edited by Sun Yung Shin, will be discussed. The club is open to everyone in the community and will meet the third Monday of each month for the rest of the semester.

The idea for the book club started with Assistant Professor of English Eric Doise, who had met some of the people in the book. Doise first read the book last spring after it came out and had kept it in mind.

“Time for the Truth: Race in Minnesota” is a compilation of essays written by people of color with a Minnesota connection. The conflict over the summer in St. Paul and Baton Rouge made the book seem relevant, Doise said.

“The idea for the club came from wanting to have a bigger discussion of the issues surrounding race,” Doise said.

According to SMSU Today, discussions will be led by members of the SMSU faculty, staff or administration—one of which will be of color. Two to three essays from the book will be discussed during each meeting.

Books can be purchased at the Office of Diversity and Inclusion in Commons East. The next meeting will be Oct. 16 at 12:30 p.m. in Student Center 207.

Doise says the outcome of these discussions will be different for different people.

“The goal is getting everyone to move forward from wherever they are,” Doise said.