Black Lit Weekend is an initiative you founded back in 2022. When you launched Black Lit, your store was also young and in its early years. What called you to launch such an initiative?

I think the more important question is why have we continued Black Lit Weekend.

It started as a small idea. I was part of a small virtual community of Black-owned bookstores that started meeting virtually in 2020 at the height of the pandemic. One day someone said, “Wouldn’t it be amazing if we could all meet in person?” I led the charge and organized year one in Tulsa, thinking it was a one-time thing.

But Black Lit Weekend kept growing. Because we needed it. It became clear just how necessary this space is. What started as a simple gathering is now the premier convening of Black-owned bookstores across the country - open to all Black-owned bookstores, regardless of bookstore size, years in the industry, or store model.

Black Lit Weekend creates room in the literary industry for us to expand our joy and our community, without the pressure to explain or translate our experiences. It centers our roles in our communities, our unique challenges, and our opportunities.

My bookstore, Fulton Street Books & Coffee, was still in its early days when we hosted that first weekend. We needed community - and I found it. I got to learn from other booksellers, avoid some common pitfalls, and build relationships that I still hold dear today.

We keep building because I wasn’t alone in my need for that kind of space. And I’m not alone now. Black Lit Weekend meets that need, over and over again.

In your wildest dreams, what does Black Lit look like in the future?

In my wildest dreams, Black Lit Weekend becomes our annual place of respite and restoration - our collective exhale.

It’s the weekend we all look forward to. The highlight reel is hugs, laughter, revelations, and connections being made.

I see it as the premier annual gathering for the Black literary industry. A space where Black authors get their flowers in real time, where we pour into each other, sharpen our skills, and return to our work as booksellers rooted and renewed.

And honestly? I believe that future is not just possible - it’s already unfolding.

Black Lit Weekend should feel like the literary family reunion we all deserve.

You talk about Black Lit as something for every Black person within the industry. What is the significance of that for you?

Because we deserve that. Every single one of us. And it didn’t exist. And now it does.

Whether you’re a brand new bookstore or an OG in the game, a debut author making sure indies can carry your book, a veteran bookseller, a publicist, an indie press founder, a teacher, a librarian, or just someone who loves a good book - there’s a seat for you at Black Lit.

We’ve all been in rooms that didn’t see us, or only saw a sliver of who we are. Black Lit is about making space for the fullness of us. It’s about abundance.

Our stores and our stories are not a niche. Our impact isn’t up for debate. The industry is better and stronger when it makes room for all of us.

What can we expect for Black Lit 2026 in NOLA (haha)?

Oh, we’re going all in for New Orleans (and yes, please quote me on that).

Black Lit Weekend has always been rooted in three anchors:

• Place-based grounding – understanding the history of the city we’re in and our place as Black booksellers and entrepreneurs within that context.

• Community building – creating space for deep connection, collaboration, and joy.

• Education – making sure everyone leaves with the tools, knowledge, and relationships to go back home as better booksellers and business owners.

We’re bringing all of that and then some to New Orleans.

There’s so much rich history, culture, and opportunity in New Orleans. Expect bookstore tours, powerful author talks, and new activations from our sponsors and publishing partners. And of course - expect it to be LIT.

If you’re a bookseller, author, editor, or publicist - you do not want to miss Black Lit Weekend 2026.