South Florida book festival returns to AARLCC
Congressman Clyburn
By Steve Vinik
The South Florida Book Festival is returning to the African-American Research Library and Cultural Center (AARLCC) on July 25 -26, 2014, with an even greater variety of authors and events.
Leading off as keynote speaker is Congressman James E. Clyburn, a risk taker who once organized Civil Rights sit-ins, walked with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and was elected to Congress in 1992 where he has worked closely with Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama. His longtime friend Congressman Alcee L. Hastings is expected to join Clyburn on the stage.
The two-day festival will feature a trio of bestselling writers – Eric Jerome Dickey, Donna Hill and Pamela Samuels Young. Also featured will be Dr. Carl Hart, a neuroscientist and frequent national guest on PBS, CNBC, and Fox News. Workshops will conducted by a financial analyst from Chicago named Kembala Evans and a local author/poet of a Caribbean flavor, Geoffrey Philp.
There will be a fun forum on natural hair care and a sampling of Caribbean cooking with three local chefs. Several prominent women writers of Haitian descent will share their vision – Mahalia Solages, Marie Ketsia Theodore-Pharel and M.J. Fievre.
Moderating the author events is S. James Guitard, a national bestselling author of Chocolate Thoughts, Mocha Love, Blessed Assurance, Delilah’s Revenge and A Hot Mess. A native of New York, Guitard now resides in the Washington, D.C., area. He was a featured writer at last year’s book festival.
This festival is sponsored by the Friends of African-American Research Library and Cultural Center with assistance from Broward Public Library Foundation, Whole Foods Market, Bright Star Credit Union, Literally Speaking, Bank of America and National Sales Network.
The fun begins on Friday evening, July 25, with “An Evening with the Stars.” Tickets for this event are $25 in advance or $30 at the door and include one autographed book from a featured author.
There will be an evening of light jazz with hors d’oeuvres and wine courtesy of Whole Foods Market. This is a glamorous event, so dress to impress. To purchase tickets go to www.sfbf.eventbrite.com.
