This week’s issue is about something simple but powerful:

the people who make the table feel like home.

Over the past week, we gathered, played, taught, learned, celebrated, and made space for connection — which is exactly what Mahjong does best.

And with Mother’s Day just behind us, it felt especially fitting to pause and honor the mothers, grandmothers, aunties, bonus moms, mother figures, caregivers, and women who have spent their lives pouring into others.

Mahjong may be a game, but the table often becomes something more: a place to laugh, exhale, remember, reconnect, and be cared for in return.

So this week, we’re reflecting on the gift of Mahjong, the joy of gathering, and the beauty of creating spaces where women — and the people who love them — can sit down, slow down, and belong.

Let’s get into this week at the table.

Mother’s Day may be over, but the spirit of honoring our mothers and mother figures does not have to end with one Sunday.

One of the most beautiful things about Mahjong is that it gives us a reason to spend time together in a way that feels intentional.

Not rushed.
Not distracted.
Not centered around a screen.
Not another quick “we need to get together soon” that never happens.

Mahjong gives us a table.

And sometimes, that is exactly what our mothers, aunties, grandmothers, and sister-friends need: a table where they can laugh, learn, sip, snack, talk a little mess, and feel like the afternoon was designed with them in mind.

This is why Mahjong makes such a powerful gift.

Not because of the tiles alone, but because of what the tiles create.

They create time.
They create conversation.
They create mental movement.
They create friendship.
They create routine.
They create a soft place to land.

For the women who have spent years taking care of everybody else, Mahjong offers something different.

A seat.
A pause.
A challenge.
A joy.
A community.

And that is a gift worth giving long after Mother’s Day.

This week, think of one mother, auntie, elder, caregiver, or woman in your life who could use a little more joy and connection.

Invite her to play.
Invite her to watch.
Invite her to learn.
Invite her to sit with you.

Sometimes the invitation is the gift.

This past week reminded us that Mahjong is becoming a rhythm, not just an occasional event.

Every time we gather, someone gets a little more confident. Someone meets a new tablemate. Someone asks a better question. Someone realizes they understand more than they thought they did.

That is growth.

That is community.

And that is what we are carrying forward into this next week.

This week, we brought the tiles to Virgil’s Gullah Kitchen — West Midtown for a Mahjong social night filled with food, fellowship, and BGMJ² table energy.

And something about this one felt special.

The cuisine and the setting gave the evening a kind of ancestral table energy — the kind that reminds you our people have always known how to gather around food, story, strategy, laughter, and community.

The flavors in the room, the warmth of the space, and the sound of tiles moving across the table created a feeling that was bigger than the game itself.

Mahjong may have been the reason we gathered, but the experience felt like more than play.

It felt like culture.
It felt like memory.
It felt like fellowship.
It felt like being fed in more ways than one.

That is the beauty of bringing Mahjong into spaces like Virgil’s.

The table becomes a place to connect, exhale, learn, laugh, and remember that gathering well is part of who we are.

A heartfelt thank-you to everyone who came out, supported the venue, ordered food and drinks, played, asked questions, and helped make the evening feel warm and welcoming.

Virgil’s gave us cuisine, setting, and soul.

BGMJ² brought the tiles.

Thursday nights continue to be one of our favorite community anchors.

At Chicago Pizza & Grille in Smyrna, we gather for American and Hong Kong Mahjong, good food, and good people.

This is where beginners become regulars, regulars become table friends, and table friends become community.

Whether you are coming to play, observe, learn the vibe, or simply enjoy being in the room, Thursday nights are part of the heartbeat of BGMJ².

We are excited to officially share that Black Girls Mahjong, Too! has partnered with Sharp Minds Strong Communities Foundation for Mahj for a Cause, a benefit Mahjong event centered around play, purpose, and community impact.

Our featured event will be the Double Dragons Hong Kong Mahjong Tournament, taking place on Saturday, June 13th, from 4 PM to 8 PM at Luckey’s Barbecue in Marietta.

This is more than a tournament.

It is a fundraiser.

It is community care.

It is Mahjong with a mission.

Through this partnership, proceeds from the event will support the work of Sharp Minds Strong Communities Foundation, whose mission centers on cognitive wellness, intergenerational connection, screen-free engagement, community building, and using games like Mahjong as tools for memory, strategy, social connection, and lifelong learning.

The dragons are coming to Marietta.

This tournament is designed for players who enjoy Hong Kong Mahjong, friendly competition, good food, and the kind of table energy that keeps the room buzzing.

Event: Double Dragons Hong Kong Mahjong Tournament
Date: Saturday, June 13th
Time: 4 PM – 8 PM
Location: Luckey’s Barbecue, Marietta
Hosted by: Black Girls Mahjong, Too!
Benefit Partner: Sharp Minds Strong Communities Foundation
Purpose: Fundraiser supporting community-based cognitive wellness and Mahjong programming

Tournament Entry: $75

Includes:

Hong Kong Mahjong tournament seat
Pre-fixe lunch selection
Fountain beverage
Leaderboard tracking
Prize pot participation
BGMJ² tournament experience

A portion of each tournament entry will support the prize pot, with payouts planned for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place.

Premium Tournament Entry: $95

Includes everything in the standard tournament entry, plus:

Reserved seating
Automatic table experience
Premium Mahjong table aesthetics
Welcome glass of wine
Elevated BGMJ² tournament setup

This option is for the player who wants a little extra comfort, convenience, and style while competing.

We will also offer pre-event Mahjong Jumpstart instruction before the tournament begins.

These Jumpstarts are designed for players who want a beginner-friendly introduction or a confidence boost before joining the social play experience.

American Mahjong Jumpstart: $45
Includes instruction and entry into social play during the event.

Hong Kong Mahjong Jumpstart: $20
Includes instruction and entry into social play during the event.

All proceeds from the Jumpstart instruction will also go toward the benefit cause.

You can still be part of the day.

There will be an American Mahjong social play option indoors for those who want to enjoy the BGMJ² atmosphere without entering the Hong Kong tournament.

This makes the event welcoming for both competitive players and community members who simply want to play, learn, support, and be in the room.

Mahjong is more than entertainment.

It is strategy.
It is memory work.
It is social connection.
It is intergenerational learning.
It is screen-free engagement.
It is community care.

That is why this partnership between Black Girls Mahjong, Too! and Sharp Minds Strong Communities Foundation feels so aligned.

We are taking what we already love — Mahjong, gathering, food, fellowship, and friendly competition — and using it to support a bigger mission.

Come play.
Come compete.
Come learn.
Come support the cause.

Whether you join the tournament, sign up for a Jumpstart, participate in social play, or simply help spread the word, your presence helps move the mission forward.

The dragons are circling.

And this time, they are playing for a cause.

As we continue building Mahjong as a lifestyle and leisure community, we are always thinking about where the table can go next.

Not just geographically, but experimentally.

Should Mahjong be at brunch?
At a beach house?
At a supper club?
On a cruise?
At a wellness retreat?
In a boutique hotel lounge?
In another city where people are waiting for a table like ours?

The answer is probably yes to all of the above.

But the real question is:

What kind of Mahjong experience would you actually say yes to?

What would you love to see next?

A Mahjong brunch?
A Mahjong supper club?
A beginner bootcamp?
A weekend retreat?
A regional pop-up?
A mother-daughter Mahjong day?
A couples Mahjong night?
A themed social play series?

Reply and tell us.

The best experiences are built by listening before we plan.

Not every community moment needs a huge announcement to matter.

Sometimes growth looks like a new face walking in.
Sometimes it looks like a returning player feeling more confident.
Sometimes it looks like someone bringing a friend.
Sometimes it looks like a beginner finally recognizing a hand on the card.
Sometimes it looks like a player saying, “I think I’m starting to get it.”

Those moments matter.

They are the foundation.

BGMJ² is growing because people keep showing up, sharing the table, and making the game feel approachable.

That is the work.

That is the culture.

That is the invitation.

This week, invite one person who has been watching from the sidelines.

Not with pressure.

Just with warmth.

Try this: “You don’t have to know how to play yet. Just come sit with us.”

That one sentence may be the beginning of someone’s Mahjong journey.

This week’s Table Talk is for anyone who feels rushed at the table.It is about making the table less intimidating.

If you are hosting Mahjong for newer players, one of the best things you can do is prepare the table in a way that reduces confusion before the game even starts.

Set out the essentials before guests arrive:

racks,
pushers if needed,
dice,
score sheets,
pencils,
NMJL cards,
a small discard guide if teaching,
and one clear spot for each player’s drink away from the tiles.

Then take it one step further.

Place newer players next to patient players.

Do not put every beginner at the same table with no support.

A welcoming table is not just about how it looks.

It is about how it feels.

The goal is not to make new players feel like they are being tested.

The goal is to make them feel like they can ask questions, make mistakes, laugh, reset, and try again.

That is how people become regulars.

This week’s Table Talk is for anyone who feels rushed at the table.

In Mahjong, speed can look impressive, but speed is not the same as skill.

A Mahjong table does not have to be fancy to be meaningful.

Sometimes the most beautiful table is the one where someone feels remembered, welcomed, taught, included, and invited to try again.

This week, remember:

The real gift is not just learning the game. The real gift is having somewhere to sit, someone to teach you, and a reason to come back.

This week, choose one action:

Want to play?
Join us at an upcoming social play night.

Want to honor someone after Mother’s Day?
Invite a mother, auntie, grandmother, elder, or caregiver to the table.

Want to learn?
Give yourself permission to play slowly and ask better questions.

Want to host?
Set the table before guests arrive and pair beginners with patient players.

Want to grow the community?
Invite one person who has been curious but unsure.

Want to shape what comes next?
Reply and tell us what kind of Mahjong experience you want to see.

Until next week, keep gathering well.

With love, leisure, and table talk,
Black Girls Mahjong, Too!
BGMJ²
Rooted in us, open to you.