13th State of Black Writers Symposium holds successfully in Newark, New Jersey

“The State of the Black Writers Symposium was more than an event—it’s a movement, a pulse in the heart of our ongoing struggle for truth, dignity, and liberation,” said Street Counsel (Tyrone Barnes) about the 13th State of Black Writers Symposium organized by Essex County College’s Africana Institute.

The event was organized as part of the Institute’s 25th anniversary celebration, which Dr. Akil Khalfani, Director of the Africana Institute, said “is a year-long Sankofa reflection on the Institute’s contribution to the College and the community at-large.”

The symposium consisted of three sessions. One that looked at Dr. Margaret Steven’s upcoming book on Mayor Kenneth A. Gibson, the first black Mayor of Newark, New Jersey, and Street Counsel’s own book, We Do Time, They Do Business. It helps us, “affirm that Black storytelling is both resistance and renaissance,” he intimates.

The second session of the symposium examined the lives and stories of four brilliant authors, one of whom was the moderator, True Khepra, who wrote a self reflective book called The Power of Choice. He reflected that, “The Africana Institute did an outstanding job organizing such a powerful event. Each participant brought a unique perspective, and the audience, especially the students, were fully engaged and interactive throughout.” The other three panelists were Tymiak Hawkins, Dr. Shamirah Ayesha Briddle-Charriez, and Dr. Emmanuel S. Cherilien.

The final panel was led by Professor Rebecca Williams, a brilliant professor of literature at Essex County College. This session featured three students who reflected on the theme: “Major Black writers: Foundational literature of resistance.” Each student had prepared written remarks, reflecting on the works of Frederick Douglass, Frances A.W, Harper, and others.

Akili Reynolds, Zariah Moon-Torkpo, and Infinitae Stockton gave amazing presentations that were both thoughtful and insightful, while encouraging other students to step outside of their comfort zones to present in front of an audience about their own burgeoning scholarship.

Dr. Briddle-Charriez said, “The 13th State of the Black Writers Symposium reminded me that our words are acts of resistance, healing, and legacy. Every story shared carried the voice of an ancestor and the hope of a generation yet to come.”