It was, indeed, an extra special gathering of accomplished black writers, young and not so young. The mission was to look at how far black writers and writing have come over the years, what the obstacles have been, and what must be done to overcome the barriers, and keep up, as well as increase the tempo.

The program was the 11th State of the Black Writers Symposium, held recently at the Multi-Purpose Room of the Africana Institute of the Essex County College, Newark, New Jersey, United States of America (USA).

Broken into three major sessions – Black Diaspora Authors Explore Writing in Diverse Spaces; Black Press and its Role in Building the News Ecosystem; and Young Writers in the Creative Process – the Symposium featured Professor Anasa Maat, Margaret Stevens, and John Gavin White in the first session which had the Director of the Africana Institute of Essex County College, Dr. Akil Khalfani, the host of the program, moderating.

The second session, on the Black Press and its Role in Building the News Ecosystem, featured as panelists, accomplished media personalities – Penda Howell, Cassandra Etienne, Nayaba Arinde and Brian Branch-Price (an award-winning Photo-journalist). The session was moderated by Josie Gonsalves of Public Square Amplified.

The third session was dedicated to the exposition of the sometimes very emotive experiences of two extra-ordinary young lady writers – Aziza Kibibi and Katelynn Simmons. The very session was moderated by Dr. Khalfani.

Running across the three sessions was the common thread that though Black Writers and Journalists have come a long way, there is still a lot to be done to get to where Black Writing should be – at the very top.

The identified challenges include access to publishing opportunities, finances to support self publishing and sponsorship of Black Media organizations to ensure ownership of the narrative.

The President of Essex County College, Dr. Augustine Boakye, also graced the historic gathering.