BLACK LIT WEEKEND

Black Lit Weekend is an annual convergence dedicated to celebrating, elevating, and advancing the Black bookselling and literary community. Founded by Onikah Asamoa-Caesar—a trailblazing bookstore owner and a valued member of the NAB2 Board—this event brings together booksellers, authors, publishers, and readers in spaces of discovery, connection, and empowerment.

This year’s fourth annual Black Lit Weekend took place August 14–16, 2025, in both Newark, NJ and New York City, offering a rich mix of community building, curated workshops, pop-up exhibits, bookstore tours, and publisher activations.

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NAB2 at BLACK LIT WEEKEND

Fireside Chat & Centennial Tour: NAB2 hosted an exclusive evening for Black booksellers and bookstore owners at the Schomburg Center. Attendees explored a centennial exhibit highlighting the Black bookstore legacy, followed by a powerful fireside conversation between NAB2’s founder, Kevin Johnson (former mayor of Sacramento), and New York City Mayor Eric Adams.

Panel & Info Session: NAB2 led a panel discussion and information session to share the organization’s mission and membership opportunities, helping participants understand how NAB2 supports the bookstore community.

Exhibit Hall Presence: The organization hosted an information table at the Black Lit Weekend exhibit hall—connecting directly with attendees and sharing resources and membership opportunities.

LOOKING AHEAD

NAB2 is proud to deepen its partnership with Black Lit Weekend. The organization is already planning collaborative programming for next year’s event, scheduled to be held in New Orleans, LA—and looks forward to welcoming members there.