Notes on the New York Black and African Literature Festival

On September 7, I participated in a panel for The New York Black and African Literature Festival (Sept. 5 - 7) in New York City. The festival, which promoted the idea of "radical solidarities," included three days of bringing together writers and artists across Africa and the global diaspora. 

The festival is a great idea. 

The festival was directed by Efe Paul-Azino and facilitated by his team of contributors and volunteers. In a mission statement, he wrote that "As the uneven distribution of the benefits and burdens of globalization continues to have a disproportionately negative effect on black communities worldwide, the need and promise of pan-diasporic cooperation become even more relevant."

Paul-Azino went on to note that "The festival’s key objectives remain to: build bridges between communities, amplify movements for justice, create new frameworks for understanding our shared challenges and aspirations, and strengthen networks of support and exchange."

I imagine this gathering wasn't the first of its kind, but it was an important model for what's possible moving forward. It also signaled what kinds of conversations and activities we might build on.