2008 Collaborators
Ismael Ali (Exhibitor) made his very extensive collection of Malcolm X (El Hajj Malik) memorabilia available for festival goers to observe, which consists of books, albums and newspapers among other items.
Miss Aziza (Volunteer) worked tirelessly to inform the community about the festival, attending meetings, following-up on telephone calls and sending out letters. Thank you Miss Aziza.
Born Latoya Bosworth (Poet), she dubbed herself Brenda's Child at 21, in honor of her late mother Brenda Kay Swinton. But really . . . who is she? Brenda's Child is the confident diva, with a smooth spoken word style. She has been writing poetry for 15 years and performing spoken word for 6 years. She uses her poetry as an outlet as she experiences the daily joys and struggles of being a mother, youth advocate and teacher. African-American, female, optimist and dream seeker, Brenda's Child loves to write uplifting and inspiring poetry. Brenda's Child's work emphasizes self-love, worth and value. She also feels obligated to tell the truth. . . .even when it hurts. Brenda's Child 's poetry is currently featured in the Pen & Ink column of the community newspaper An African-American Point of View. In April of 2007 Brenda's Child self-published her first book of poetry entitled A Piece of My Mind . . . Poetic Confessions of a Self-Proclaimed Diva. In June of 2008, she established her own publishing company Brenda's Child for Two_Two Ink and released, Our Voices: An Anthology of Poetry Written by Teens for Teens. According to Brenda's Child "I cannot say that there was one particular book or author who has affected my life . . . there are so many great ones to choose from. I would say that the poetry of Langston Hughes, Nikki Giovanni and Maya Angelou continue to move and inspire me. It is their candid, bold words which propel me to write such honest and straight to the point poetry. They spoke from the heart, which in turn spoke to the people."
John H. Bracey, Jr. (Panelist) has taught in the W.E.B. Du Bois Department of Afro-American Studies at the University of Massachusetts Amherst campus since 1972. Earlier, in the 1960s, he was active in the Civil Rights, Black Liberation and other radical movements in Chicago. His publications include several co-edited works such as Black Nationalism in America (1970), African-American Women and the Vote: 1837-1965 (1999), Strangers and Neighbors: Relations Between Blacks and Jews in the United States (1997) and African Amerian Mosaics: A Documentary History from the Slave Trade to the Present (2004).
Gerry Garner/Geraldine H. Garner AKA GG (Author) ~ When I was 12 years old and in the 6th grade, I borrowed from my school library Up From Slavery by Booker T. Washington. Reading the book, I was most impressed by how Bookler T. Washington spent a long, long time cleaning the room the Hampton Collge official assigned him to clean. When she came to find out why he was not finished sooner, she could not believe how he had deep-cleaned that room. I have imitated Booker T. Washington by trying to do an excellent job when given the opportunity." Currently, Gerry is working on her second book.
Zelmon (Zee) Johnson (Bookseller) is a native of Richmond, Virginia. Upon completion of high school, she attended Morgan State University in Baltimore, Maryland and graduated with a Bachelors of Science and Master of Science degree in Business Education. Her love for books an be traced back to her childhood years. She lived near a local library. "Going to the library" was her major form of entertainment. Zee is the co-owner of Olive Tree Books-n-Voices at 97 Hancock Street in Springfield, Massachusetts, along with her daughter Olivia (for whom the store is named). Olivia currently attends Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and was very instrumental in developing the Olive Tree. The store has been in existence since 2004 and is devoted to the African American community as a resource for books, literature, etc. According to Zee, "we are a family-owned African American business in existence since April 2002. We are a local community bookstore with a focus on African MAerican books and literature, multicultural books, book accessories, journals, Bibles, religious books and many other afrocentric items. We offer a variety of products and services. Our goal is to be a resource for all ages whose interest is of a literary nature. Our services range from providing books and literary information to consulting recommendations for organizations and book clubs. We expose the community to local, regional and national authors. We provide vendors/store space for other local/regional entrepreneurs. We provide book awards and serve as a resource for community events and networking organizations."
Gregory Dean (Smitty) Smith aka Brother North Star (Panelist) an Evangelist for Life was an at-risk youth twice having served time in the New York City prison system. Brother North Star earned a B.A. is African American Studies and has performed on stage, in film and video for over 25 years. Brother North Star has walked through 22 countries and five continents studying peace. Currently he is working on an effort to bring at-risk-youth an education to guide them in examining their own young lives, choices, potential and harsh realities in hopes of helping them to avoid the missteps that too often result in severe consequences. In Brother North Star's own words "I stand before them as a member of their community who has evolved from the streets to serve for 17 years as a sojourner for truth. I stand before them with a legion of ancestors who protect my steps. When the ancestors speak--They will listen."
Anthony Moore (Panelist) is a musician and spoken word artist, who coordinates a youth program at the Dunbar Community Center. He is committed to developing programming that fosters positive development in the community and grows art.
Susan Monroe (Panelist) is a writer and educator interested in everything related to books, including collecting and binding. As the editor of Signature Writing Services, she enjoys working with authors as they put the finishing touches on their manuscripts. Some of Susan's favorite authors include Jamaica Kincaid, Gayl Jones and bell hooks. Susan Monroe is editor of Devotion: A Journal of Cultural and Christian Perspectives.
Darryl E. Moss (Panelist) is an active member of the community who demonstrates a commitment to the arts in general and black arts in particular. Darryl has published an arts and entertainment newspaper and is producer of the monthly arts revue Organic Soul. Darryl is a mayoral aide for Springfield's Mayor Dominic Sarno
Dr. Enoch Page (Panelist & Underwriter) is an Associate Professor in the Anthropology Department of the University of Massachusetts where he teaches courses and graduate seminars on racism, whiteness and consciousness. He has published various articles and studies related to these problems and he is currently co-editing a volume of essays entitled "Global White Supremacy." His current favorite course is the Anthropology of Climate Change: Will We Change or Become Targets of Genocide? His favorite quote by Chester Himes and published in the Crisis Magazine in 1944 is: "Martyrs are needed to create incidents. Incidents are needed to create revolutions. Revolutions are needed to create progress."
Jay Schafer (Contributor) is the Director of the W.E.B. Du Bois Library at the University of Massachusetts Amherst campus. The Du Bois Library provided us with pen, pencils, bookmarks and bags for festival goers.
Professor Amilcar Shabazz (Panelist) presented our festival's opening remarks, Dr. Amilcar Shabazz is professor and chair of the W.E.B. Du Bois Departmentof Afro-American Studies at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and teaches in the area of historical studies with an emphasis on the political economy of social and cultural movements, education, and public history. His book Advancing Democracy: African Americans and the Struggle for Access and Equity in Higher Educationa in Texas (University of North Carolina Press, 2004) received numerous honors including the T.R. Fehrenbach Book Award and being ranked a top ten nonfiction book by Essence Magazine. His newest book, co-edited with Celia R. Daileader and Rhoda E. Johnson, is Women & Others: Perspective on Race, Gender and Empire (Palgrave Macmillan Press, 2007). Shabazz has also publshed The Forty Acres Documents, a sourcebook on reparations, along with journal articles, book chapters, reviews and writings in publications as diverse as The Source Magazine of Hip-Hop Music, Culture & Politics. An International scholar, Dr. Shabazz is a Fulbright Senior Specialist and has done work in Brazil, Ghana, Japan, Cuba, Mali, France, Nicaragua and Jamaica. Dr. Shabazz's favorite quote is taken from Assata: An Autobiography. "My grandmother has been dreaming all her life, and the dreams have come true. My grandmother dreams of people passing and babies being born free, but it is never specific. Redbirds sitting on fences, rainbows at sunset, conversations with people long gone. My grandmother's dreams have always come when they were needed and have always meant what we needed them to mean. She dreamed my mother would be a schoolteacher, my aunt would go to law school, and during the hard times, she dreamed good times were coming. She told us what we needed to be told and made us believe it like nobody else could have. She did her part. The rest was up to us. We had to make it real. Dreams and reality are opposites. Action synthesizes them." Assata Shakur, (p. 260)
Janet Stupak (Springfield Library) works at the Springfield Public Library. Jane will assist Springfield residents with library card registration and distribute information about the Library's offerings.
Bea Dozier-Taylor (Bookseller) is the proprietor for The Walk in Truth Christian Books And blackPRINT Emporium Bookstore & Art Gallery which has operated for two decades at 162 Edgewood Avenue, New Haven, Connecticut. Bea's community-based establishment has served as a cultural oasis, where historical and contemporary literature, art and resources inspire a lively conversation between Bea and her customers about Black people and, as Bea says, "the conditioning our condition is in." blackPRINT Emporium Bookstore is an exceptional resource for Afrocentric products that satisfy the need and desire to increases knowledge about Black culture and to express oneself with authenticity and cultural distinction. A wide selection of products, include books by and about Black people for all ages; home decor furnishings; personal care products; all-occasion and seasonal gifts, including custom gift baskets; greeting cards and wrappings; culturally-specific educational materials; limited edition and open stock prints and posters by us, about us, for us. A Walk in Truth Christian Boosk, blackPRINT Emporium Bookstore's sister store, is a spiritual resource center for Bibles (all translations and editions); study references; a wide-range of Christian literature and videos including topics on inspiration, prayer and worship; marriage and family devotions, Christian education, leadership training and a wide selection of church supplies. Together, blackPRINT Emporium Bookstore and A Walk in Truth Christian Books highlight the enormous contributions, past and present, that Black people have made to America and the world. The pleasure lies in discovering more and more how these contributions sustain our cultural and spiritual journey as a people of color.
Chris Tinson (Panel Moderator) is the co-founder of TRGGR Media Group. TRRGR airs a weekly radio show about Hip-Hop Music, Culture, Knowledge and Tradition. TRRGR airs Fridays on WMUA, 91.1FM, 8-10PM (EST). WMUA is streamed live at: www.wmua.org. One of Chris' favorite quotes is from Malcolm X, "I believe in the brotherhood of man, all men, but I don't believe in brotherhood with anybody who doesn't want brotherhood with me. I believe in treating people right, but I'm not going to waste my time trying to treat somebody right who doesn't know how to return the treatment." Chis is acquiring his doctorate in Afro-American Studies at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst in the W.E.B. Du Bois Department of Afro-American Studies.
