The Year of X
Kulturally LIT FEST , and we're back for our 7th annual celebration on Saturday, Oct 17, 2026! Our theme this year is "The Year of X" honoring the centennial year of Medgar Evers and Malcolm X. The LIT Fest program is aimed at inspiring action, critical thought, and community building. It offers a platform to engage deeply with the lives of these revolutionary leaders, their ideas, and the transformative power of their work while opening dialogue about the social movements of today.
LIT Fest also features a wide selection of literary vendors, performances, music, and activities for all ages.
Speakers & Facilitators
Dr. Michael Vinson Williams
Director of the Africana Studies Program, University of Tennessee, Chattanooga
Dr. Siobhan Carter-David
Associate Professor in History, Southern Connecticut State University
Lisa D. Gray
Writer, Curator, and Social Justice Warrior
Markeshia Ricks
Award-winning journalist & Communications Director
Quartez
Harris
Author, Poet and Teaching Artist
Amelia Allen Sherwood
Educator and Founder of the Sankofa Learning Center
Jason Dorsey
Poet, Playwright, Author
Marshun Art
Visual Artist
Iyaba Ibo Mandingo
Painter, Poet, Writer, Actor and Playwright
SCHEDULE
11:30AM - WELCOME
Greetings from our Executive Director,
IfeMichelle Gardin & Erik Clemons
11:30PM - 12:30PM
Children's Storytime & Discussion
Quartez Harris author of "Go Tell It: How James Baldwin became a Writer" & Amelia Allen Sherwood
CHILDREN'S PROGRAM
1:00PM - 2:00PM
Women in the Civil Rights era discussion
w/ Dr. Siobhan Carter- David (SCSU), Author Lisa D. Gray led by Markeshia Ricks
2:30PM - 3:30PM
Keynote: Life and Legacy of Medgar Wiley Evers and Malcolm X
Dr. Michael Vinson Williams , Director of the Africana Studies Program, University of Tennessee, Chattanooga
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email us at read@kulturallylit.org to discuss opportunities