Richland Library Main
Ukweli: Midlands Writers and Poets Explore Racism
Saturday, June 25, 2022 2 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Author and journalist Herb Frazier hosts a panel discussion on artist responses to racism and diversity with music provided by Spiritual Gumbo.
A panel of Midlands-based artists will discuss their contributions to the recent book Ukweli: Searching for Healing and Truth: South Carolina Writers and Poets Explore American Racism (2022, Evening Post Books) with a musical performance by Spiritual Gumbo.
Panel:
Herb Frazier, moderator
Herb Frazier is the co-editor of Ukweli: Searching for Healing and Truth. Frazier is the special projects editor at Charleston City Paper, and the winner of the 1990 South Carolina Press Association Journalist of the Year. He is a member of the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor Commission.
Al Black, panelist
Al Black was the 2017 Jasper Literary Artist of the Year, and is the author of two volumes of poetry. He is also the co-editor of Hand in Hand: Poets Respond to Race. He founded the Midlands poetry organization, Mind Gravy.
Tim Conroy, panelist
Tim Conroy is the founding board member of the Pat Conroy Literary Center, established in his brother’s honor. Conroy’s work has appeared in numerous literary publications, and he is the author of the poetry volume, Theologies of Terrain.
Savannah Frierson, panelist
Savannah Frierson is a USA Today bestselling and award-winning novelist and publishing consultant. Frierson is a Dorothy Hicks Lee Prize recipient, and she currently works for the College of Charleston Avery Research Center for African American History and Culture.
Ed Madden, panelist
Ed Madden is a professor of English and former director of the Women’s & Gender Studies Program at the University of South Carolina. He is the author of four volumes of poetry. In 2015, he was named the inaugural poet laureate for the City of Columbia.
Yvette Murray, panelist
Yvette Murray’s has been published in numerous literary publications. In 2019, she was nominated for a Pushcart Prize. Murray is currently working on her first poetry collection.
Spiritual Gumbo, musical performance
Spiritual Gumbo is a group of "Afrikan Drummers, Ambassadors of Love, Light, and Peace" whose mission is to share and teach Afrikan rhythms with spiritual consciousness. With the winds of history at their backs, they worship God while honoring the legacies of their Ancestors. The name, Spiritual Gumbo, is laced with meaning delineating that they are a part of a great Afrikan feast. If everyone puts something in the pot, we can all eat! The group is comprised of Lynette Moses, Seitu Amenwahsu, and Ron Moses.