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SBFF MISSION STATEMENT
SBFF provides programming, training and literary opportunities, while increasing exposure and access to culturally relevant literature to Black communities. Its goal is to increase reading, writing and public speaking in the Black community, through a series of workshops, training sessions and book fairs. SBFF 4 PILLARS The 1st pillar - enhance the Black literary marketplace. Our book fairs have showcased over 350 authors over the past 4 years and we've noticed a deficit. There are not enough opportunities for Black writers to showcase their work. Therefore we pick up the slack, market our authors well and provide avenues for them to gain exposure and sell their books. The 2nd pillar - bolster training and marketing for Black writers. Everyone has a book inside of them. For those people courageous enough to become authors, we help guide them through the process of building a business around their books. From effectively presenting at events, to maximizing social media, we offer training and marketing to Black authors so they can confidently emerge into fruitful literary careers. The 3rd pillar - archive Black stories and literary experiences. Understanding the past allows one to map out their future. And whoever writes the history, usually controls that future. Within the SBFF we archive the stories and the stories behind the stories of the authors in our network and within the Black community at large. We preserve the storytelling of activists, writers, leaders, and youth in the Black community through state-of-the-art videography, produced by our partner OM Productions. Our goal is to ensure that HIStory remains OURstory. The 4th pillar - foster writing and the telling of stories through Black Youth. Myth: Children today do not read and write as much as we did in the past. Truth: Children today read and write more than we used to, because they post and text as their means of communication. That being said, SBFF creates opportunities for young people to share their stories through special workshops, as well as our Timuel D. Black Essay Contest. We've found that doing so validates their young thoughts and creates a platform for their ideas to be taken seriously. We believe that our children would read more if what they read reflected more of who they are. Why not help them be the authors of their own experiences. |