Every year, hundreds of celebrations of the African American Read-In take place across the country and around the world. These events feature the texts, talks, and discussions by and about African American authors and serve as a way to recognize and amplify their work.
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OCLS African-American Read-In featuring Beverly Jenkins and Dr. Carla Hayden
February 28, 2021 @ 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm

Celebrate African-American literature in poetry, story, and song, performed by local luminaries in conjunction with the 31st Annual National African-American Read-In. Enjoy an opening keynote from bestselling romance author Beverly Jenkins and a closing keynote from Dr. Carla Hayden, the Librarian of Congress. Participants also include Congresswoman Val B. Demings, Orange County Mayor Jerry L. Demings, Johnny Magic, news anchor Ginger Gadsden, Emmy-Award winning news anchor Jazmin Bailey, City Commissioner Bakari F. Burns, Grammy-nominated musician Nathi Gcabashe, and more.
This event is free and open to the public. OCLS’s 2021 African-American Read-In is going virtual and will be broadcast to our YouTube and Facebook pages. Registration is not required, but you can register to receive reminder emails before the event.