Journal of Black Poetry Festival

Notes on the Journal of Black Poetry Festival



The tentative date for the Journal of Black Poetry Festival is late September, 2007.

Purpose: to give honor and respect to Brother Dingane (Jose Goncalves), publisher and editor of the JBP.

The invited poets and planners include Amiri Baraka, Askia Toure, Nikki Giovanni, Sonia Sanchez,Last Poets, Haki Madhubuti, Kalamu Ya Salaam, Amina Baraka, Eugene Redman, Rudolph Lewis, Tureeda, Ayodele Nzinga, Naru, Ptah, Marcel Diallo, Tureeda, Ishmael Reed, Devorah Major, Al Young, Jose Angel Figerora, Nefertiti El Muhajir, Muhammida El Muhajir, Larry Ukali Johnson, Reginald Lockett, Devorah Major, Marvin X.

As per funding, we should consider that the JBP was published independently without corporate or government funding. Shall we continue this tradition of do for self with respect to funding this festival, since this project is a continuation of the cultural revolution that will impact the consciousness of participants, especially the hip hop generation. And why should we beg corporations and foundations to do for us what we should do for ourselves?

If every interested poet would donate a hundred or thousand dollars, we could pull this off independently. If poets would be willing to pay their own airfare and lodging, that would be a nice chunk out of the budget. We have a tentative faciliity at Oakland's Eastside Arts Center. Laney College is nearby and we expect the students at Laney's Club Knowledge to be a part of the planning to insure the hip hop generation is represented in this intergenerational gathering.

Anyway, tell me your thoughts on funding, agenda and expected outcome.

Please respond to me at http://www.marvinxwrites.blogspot.com