MAIN STAGE
9:30 am
Musical Prelude with Procession of African Dancers and Drummers,
Native American Dancers & Buffalo Soldiers
Native American Dancers & Buffalo Soldiers
10:00 am
Festival Kick off with Producer Cynthia E. Exum & Event Co-Chairs,
Dr. Bernard W. and Shirley Kinsey w/ Spotlight Authors
& Presentation of Joyce Sumbi Leadership Award –
California Black Librarian Caucus
Dr. Bernard W. and Shirley Kinsey w/ Spotlight Authors
& Presentation of Joyce Sumbi Leadership Award –
California Black Librarian Caucus
Hosts: TV Personalities Albert Lawrence & Kendra Kabasele
10:30 am
Musical Spotlight Performance
11:00 am
“Speaking Truth to Power through Writing”
USC Roy P. Crocker Professor of Law Jody Armour in Conversation with
Leila Steinberg, former manager of the late Tupac Shakur & Founder of Aim4TheHeart Microphone Sessions
Presented by Los Angeles Review of Books
USC Roy P. Crocker Professor of Law Jody Armour in Conversation with
Leila Steinberg, former manager of the late Tupac Shakur & Founder of Aim4TheHeart Microphone Sessions
Presented by Los Angeles Review of Books
• Jody Armour,
(USC Roy P. Crocker Professor of Law)
(USC Roy P. Crocker Professor of Law)
• Leila Steinberg,
(Former manager of the late Tupac Shakur & Founder of Aim4TheHeart Microphone Sessions)
(Former manager of the late Tupac Shakur & Founder of Aim4TheHeart Microphone Sessions)
11:30 am
Greetings from Sponsors: Peter Jackson – City National Bank
Special Musical and spoken word performances from
Aim4TheHeart Microphone Sessions participants.
Special Musical and spoken word performances from
Aim4TheHeart Microphone Sessions participants.
HEADLINER
12:00 Noon
Actress, Comedian, Producer, Author and 2017 Book Fair Ambassador Kim Coles
in Conversation with Kendra Kabasele
in Conversation with Kendra Kabasele
PANEL DISCUSSION
12:30 pm
“Mysteries and Thrillers R Us: Making Fiction Fun!”
• Gary Phillips,
(The Obama Inheritance: Fifteen Stories of Conspiracy Noir)
(The Obama Inheritance: Fifteen Stories of Conspiracy Noir)
• Tananarive Due,
(Ghost Summer)
(Ghost Summer)
• Pamela Samuels Young,
(Abuse of Discretion)
(Abuse of Discretion)
PANEL DISCUSSION
1:00 pm
“Sci Fi Fantasy R Us: The Rise of Afrofuturism: From Octavia Butler to Black Panther”
• Steve Barnes,
(Twelve Days)
(Twelve Days)
• Deborah Pratt,
(Vision Quest Series)
(Vision Quest Series)
• Jodi Baker,
(Between Lions Series)
(Between Lions Series)
1:30 pm
Interlude Presentation: Inglewood Guys and Dolls Western Dancers
PANEL DISCUSSION
2:00 pm
“YOU - The Future of Publishing”
• Boris Dralyuk
(Executive Director, Los Angeles Review of Books)
(Executive Director, Los Angeles Review of Books)
• Callie Siskel
(Author & Poetry Editor, Los Angeles Review of Books)
(Author & Poetry Editor, Los Angeles Review of Books)
• Janice Rhoshalle Littlejohn (Moderator & Director, LARB/USC Publishing Workshop)
Co-hosted: The Los Angeles Review of Books & LA Wave Newspapers
COMMUNITY FORUM
3:00 pm
“Black Minds Matter”
Panelists:
Panelists:
• Dr. Melina Abdullah
(Professor & Chair of Pan-African Studies @ CSULA)
(Professor & Chair of Pan-African Studies @ CSULA)
• Nana Gyamfi
(Professor, Dept. of Pan-African Studies @ CSULA)
(Professor, Dept. of Pan-African Studies @ CSULA)
• Jody Armour
(Moderator & Roy P. Crocker Professor of Law @ USC)
(Moderator & Roy P. Crocker Professor of Law @ USC)
• King
(Poet Community Organizer – Aim4TheHeart & Black Star Liberation Party)
(Poet Community Organizer – Aim4TheHeart & Black Star Liberation Party)
• Pete White
(Executive Director/Founder – Los Angeles Community Action Network)
(Executive Director/Founder – Los Angeles Community Action Network)
Presented by the Los Angeles Review of Books
3:45 pm
Musical Interlude – Aim4TheHeart Microphone Sessions 2.0
4:00pm
“African American Legends in the Great Outdoors”
Presentation of the 2017 Leimert Park Village Book Fair Legacy Award
Presentation of the 2017 Leimert Park Village Book Fair Legacy Award
Legacy Award Honoree: American stage, television and film actor Glynn Turman
Interviewer: TV Journalist and “Entertainment Tonight” co-host, Kevin Frazier
POETRY SLAM 101
4:30 pm
A Discussion of Words n’ Rhymes
"Los Angeles' Leimert Park Poets: Using Language as Community Builder & Progressor"
"Los Angeles' Leimert Park Poets: Using Language as Community Builder & Progressor"
• Elias Wondimu
(Publisher, TSEHAI Publishers)
(Publisher, TSEHAI Publishers)
• Peter Harris
(Arts Organizer; Author, The Black Man of Happiness: In Pursuit of My 'Unalienable Right)
(Arts Organizer; Author, The Black Man of Happiness: In Pursuit of My 'Unalienable Right)
• V. Kali
(Coordinator, Leimert Park World Stage Anansi Writers Workshop; Author, HYMN)
(Coordinator, Leimert Park World Stage Anansi Writers Workshop; Author, HYMN)
• Jerry Garcia
(Poet, Photographer and Filmmaker; former President of Beyond Baroque’s board of trustees in Venice California)
(Poet, Photographer and Filmmaker; former President of Beyond Baroque’s board of trustees in Venice California)
• Conney Williams
Poet, Author, Leaves of Spilled Spirit from an Untamed Poet; Artistic Director, The World Stage and Coordinator, Anansi Writers Workshop)
Poet, Author, Leaves of Spilled Spirit from an Untamed Poet; Artistic Director, The World Stage and Coordinator, Anansi Writers Workshop)
• Nailah Porter
(Artist, Educator, Lawyer and Social Justice Activist)
(Artist, Educator, Lawyer and Social Justice Activist)
• Shonda Buchanan – Moderator
(Author, poet, educator and literary editor of Harriet Tubman Press)
(Author, poet, educator and literary editor of Harriet Tubman Press)
AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT
5:30 pm
Spoken word by actor/poet Sheldon Bailey
Nickelodeon’s "Ground Shakers" and author of 180 Degrees: A Book of Poems
Susan Burton Introduced by Cynthia E. Exum
(Becoming Ms. Burton: From Prison to Recovery)
Nickelodeon’s "Ground Shakers" and author of 180 Degrees: A Book of Poems
Susan Burton Introduced by Cynthia E. Exum
(Becoming Ms. Burton: From Prison to Recovery)
CLOSING MUSIC PERFORMANCE
6:00 pm
Celebrating the Centennial of American Treasure & Jazz Legend Ella Fitzgerald w/ musical guests:
Introductions: Jeffrey Winston, Jazz Historian – California Jazz Foundation
Eloise Laws - "Please Don't Talk about Me" and "Cry Me a River"
Elaine Gibbs - "The Very Thought of You" and "Secret Love"
Nicole "Velvet Voice" Simms- "Summertime"
Introductions: Jeffrey Winston, Jazz Historian – California Jazz Foundation
Eloise Laws - "Please Don't Talk about Me" and "Cry Me a River"
Elaine Gibbs - "The Very Thought of You" and "Secret Love"
Nicole "Velvet Voice" Simms- "Summertime"
With The Harold Land, Jr. Quartet:
Harold Land, Jr. (piano), Nolan Shaheed (trumpet), John B. Williams (bass) & Leslie Daniels (drums)
Final Remarks and Acknowledgments
Harold Land, Jr. (piano), Nolan Shaheed (trumpet), John B. Williams (bass) & Leslie Daniels (drums)
Final Remarks and Acknowledgments