NBAF Presents Blacklisted
Book Fair & Conference

February 2024, the NBAF Black History Month Program celebrates the African American authors creating work that challenges the status quo and speaks truth to power with a mini book fair and conference: Blacklisted! Banned Books Fair.

Since as far back as Reconstruction, Black writing in the United States has been widely treated as obscene, seditious, and even dangerous. The repression of Black authors has never really stopped; however, this campaign has roared back into life with a relentless recent effort to remove Black-authored books from our collective history.

More than 1,600 books were banned in 138 school districts across 32 states between 2021 and 2022, according to a report by PEN America. The vast majority of challenged and banned books feature BIPOC or LGBTQ+ characters, discuss gender, sexuality, and race in America, or are written by Black and POC authors. By celebrating and sharing these authors' works, we push back on the erasure of Black voices, histories, and perspectives in the formation of our national identity.

This interactive experience features:

Moderated panel discussions with Black Authors & Intellectuals
Indie Black Book Market featuring African American booksellers and authors
Youth Book Fair with interactive children’s activities
Community Book Drive to benefit youth-centered non-profits
Interactive exhibitions about banned African-American literature and authors
Social Photo booths, food vendors & more!