'Literacy is Life' at the First-Ever Genius Conference

The inaugural conference brought together Black authors, educators, and performers.

by Patheresa Wells

The African-American Writers' Alliance (AAWA), in collaboration with LANGSTON Seattle, launched its first-ever Genius Conference, a two-day showcase of literacy, arts, and education, on June 7 and 8. Held at the historic Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute, the event featured workshops, performances, and vendors all promoting the theme "Literacy is Life."

As attendees walked through the doors of the historic performing arts center, they were welcomed into a space that held three floors of culture and literary content. Every corner of the building buzzed with laughter and conversation as folks mingled. The grand hall was filled with the scents of fried egg rolls from food vendor Linda's Best Asian Comfort Food, which offered numerous plates of mouthwatering cuisine. Fresh coffee and donuts were available throughout the day. The sight of elders chatting with younger generations, kids flipping through picture books, and inspirational posters featuring the words of Black leaders added to the backdrop of Black literary brilliance.

The conference combined creativity and community with an array of creative workshops, live performances, and educational sessions geared for bookworms of all ages. The weekend's highlights included:

Black Women Write Seattle presented a workshop called "Voices Across Verses: The Publishing Journey According to the Writers," which shared what it was like for Black women writers Renee Simms, c.r. glasgow (doc; Dr. g), and Reagan Jackson to undergo the publishing process in multiple literary genres. Award-winning teacher, youth educator, and writer Donte Felder taught "How You Can Use the Seeds of Afrofuturism as a Tool for Healing," discussing with attendees how creative endeavors can be used to heal. By looking at the themes of Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler and other science fiction stories, he spoke about the ingenuity of imagination in inventing new narratives that enable us to move forward from past traumas. And the organization Black Prisoners' Caucus taught how literacy can combat inequality and oppression in its lecture "Taking Education and Creating History."

These workshops and opportunities inspired meaningful connections for attendees like author and vendor Carletta Carrington Wilson. "When I saw that the Genius Conference was going to happen, I was excited because this was an opportunity not only to share my work but also to be in community with so many other writers and vendors. … It's a beautiful community event. And an important one because the focus is on literacy and books. And as a former librarian, I always talk up the library. And [this event] is bringing people who are interested in writing themselves, and also people who are interested in reading," Wilson said. "So there's a lot for people to partake in and explore."

In addition to over 20 workshops and panels providing instruction in numerous literary forms, the Genius Conference also spotlighted the exemplary work being done by local Black artists, spoken-word poets, playwrights, and musicians. Performances in the theater included a music and spoken-word collaboration called "Black Brilliance and African Genius," where violinist Akua Kariamu and poets Chelsey Richardson, Amina Adesina Frances Rhoads Eddins, and Rajnii Eddins honored the poetic form's lyrical nature. "HUEMXN" was created by Artistic Director Melany Bell and performed by the Pi Arts Collective, blending art and science with music, math, and words, building an architecture encompassing all our minds can make. The final performance of the conference was called "The Griot Party," which used hip-hop, spoken word, and comedy to embody the West African tradition of the griot, a storyteller who mixes music with stories to preserve history.

While this was the first year of the Genius Conference, poet, author, and AAWA member Margaret S. Barrie shared that they have been envisioning the event for many years. "In the future, I'd like to see it become like a national conference, like the [Association of Writers & Writing Programs] conference. A place for the community to have a ball creating together, playing together, and writing together. So that people can be involved with this collective learning space," Barrie said.

The Genius Conference's collective learning included many chances to interact and discover. Vendors were on-site offering food, handmade goods, and, of course, books. Community sponsors, like The Seattle Public Library, the King County Library System, and Third Place Books, tabled, promoting literacy.

Capping things off was an after-party held Saturday night to mark the start of Juneteenth celebrations. The Genius Conference might have been an inaugural event, but it's only one of the many ways the AAWA promotes Black literary legacy.

Founded and based in Seattle, AAWA is a collective of writers of African descent. As a support forum for new and established writers, it collaborates to enhance writing skills, provide peer feedback, and host public readings. The group encourages members to publish books that tell their stories and to inspire others to do the same.

For more information on future conferences, workshops, and open mics held by AAWA, follow its Instagram.

Featured Image: Scenes from the Genius Conference. Clockwise from upper left: Author Carletta Carrington Wilson was among the many vendors sharing their work with conference attendees. Poet Chelsey Richardson and violinist Akua Kariamu were among the many performers at the weekend festivities. Authors at the Meet 'N Greet table pose for a picture. Copies of "All In," a poetry book by D'Mario Carter, sit on the Meet 'N Greet table. (Photos: Patheresa Wells)