Black and Bold: Celebrating Black Authors

Black Books Matter.

Brown Hope and BOLD Coffee & Books are excited to invite you to a community event on Sat., Aug. 8 from 6:00–8:00 p.m. that honors and uplifts the incredible work of Black authors.
Black and Bold: Celebrating Black Authors (1755 SW Jefferson St, Portland) will be a space for storytelling, inspiration, and belonging, where we allow ourselves to reflect upon the beautiful writings of people from the African diaspora.

The event will include a tribute to legacy Black authors who made trailblazing contributions to the arts and literature.

We will also celebrate four Portland-based Black authors, including an author conversation panel, live readings, and book signings.

Judge Kemp is a community leader, blogger, poet and author of the award-winning poetry collection Live. Love. Leo. Judge grew up a gay black kid in a military household. He has been a model, actor, and professional dancer. After moving to Holland, he eventually landed in Portland where he has served on boards for the Oregon Commission on Black Affairs, Q center, and Red Dress Party PDX, a volunteer nonprofit benefiting queer youth and those living with HIV and AIDS. He is currently working on a memoir, Just Outside Center Stage: A Memoir from the Nineties, A Time of Dance, Disappointment, Discovery, and Debauchery.

Emmett Wheatfall resides in Portland, Oregon, and has been nominated twice for the position of Oregon Poet Laureate. He is the recipient of the prestigious 2024 Oregon Poetry Association Patricia Ruth Banta Award. Emmett has also served as a keynote speaker at two Annual Conferences of the Oregon Poetry Association. In 2020, Corban University produced a nine-part documentary titled *A Brief History*, which highlights Emmett’s life and his introduction to poetry. His poetry has been published in several books, collections, and anthologies. Notably, one of his works, *As Clean as a Bone*, was a finalist for both the 2019 Eric Hoffer Award and the da Vinci Eye Award. His forthcoming chapbook is titled The Rest of Us.

Nastashia Minto is the award-winning author of A Body Tangled in Time: A Tapestry of Self-Love and Shadow Work and Naked: The Rhythm and Groove of It. The Depth and Length to It. Nastashia is an African American born in South Georgia and raised there by her grandparents. She is an eccentric dream tender who grew up in poverty around drugs, alcohol, and family violence. Her writing offers Minto a way to not only help herself but others as well. She has been featured in numerous magazines, books, and podcasts.

Dr. Renee Mitchell is a Creative Revolutionist, which includes being a keynote speaker, trainer, novelist, educator, playwright, spoken word poet, lyricist, curriculum designer, and multimedia heARTivist. She is well-known in Portland for her years as a metro columnist for The Oregonian, where she was nominated twice for the prestigious Pulitzer Prize and named No. 1 newspaper columnist in five western states by the Society of Professional Journalists regional chapter. Dr. Mitchell is the visionary behind I Am M.O.R.E. (Making Ourselves Resilient Everyday), a heART-focused youth development program.

We invite you to join us for Black and Bold on Sat., Aug. 8. This event is free and open to all ages, and we encourage you to come as your full, authentic selves.

“A writer’s life and work are not a gift to mankind; they are its necessity.”
—Toni Morrison

To learn more about Brown Hope and our healing justice mission and programs, visit www.brownhope.org.

Arrive at 5:30 p.m. to grab a snack or drink. The event will start at 6:00 p.m.

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Event cohosted by BOLD Coffee & Books and Indigo: Editing, Design, and More.