Continue Conversations from the 2021 Schomburg Center Literary Festival

By Lisa Herndon, Manager, Schomburg Communications and Publications
June 30, 2021
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture
A collage of authors featured during 2021 Schomburg Center Literary Festival.

The Schomburg Center Literary Festival: Reading the African Diaspora discussed the concept of freedom through topics such as agriculture, graphic novels, publishing, and more. The virtual event expanded the long tradition of championing authors of African descent from across the globe and publications that celebrate Black history and culture.
Use Schomburg Center materials to continue these conversations. 

NO SMALL VOICE 

Watch above or on YouTube.

Mahogany L. Browne (Chlorine Sky) and Yusef Komunyakaa (Jupiter Invincible) discussed books for young people such as comic books and story books.

Did you know the Schomburg Center has a graphic novel collection? It includes titles such as Superman vs. Muhammad Ali, Black Panther & the Crew: We Are the Streets, and Daughters of the Dragon: Deep Cuts.

Explore the Black Comics and Graphic Novels research guide to learn more.

FREEDOM TO PUBLISH 

Watch above on on YouTube.

Dr. Haki Madhbuti, founder and publisher of Third World Press, and Chris Jackson, publisher and editor-in-chief of One World, talked about the challenges and freedoms that come with choosing what gets published and subverting dominant narratives.

Did you know Black bookstores experienced similar situations? They were targets of investigations by federal authorities.

Learn about the challenges they faced in our Black Bookstores Research Guide.

LAND OF THE FREE: NATALIE BASZILE  

Watch above or on YouTube.

Natalie Baszile disusssed her anthology, We Are Each Other's Harvest, which elevated the stories of Black farmers.

Read our blog post Feed Your Mind and Nourish Your Soul on Earth Day to find news articles, historical photos, and more book recommendations.

The Schomburg Center Literary Festival is generously sponsored by the New York Life Foundation and Deutsche Bank Americas Foundation.

Book of Cures by Barbara Earl Thomas. Courtesy of Claire Oliver Gallery and Barbara Earl Thomas. Photo by Spike Mafford Photography.

 

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