Saturday, August 15, 2026
12 - 6 pm
A celebration of Black literary excellence with author showcases, panel discussions, appetizers & refreshments.
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Festival Date:
Saturday, August 15, 2026
Time: 12 - 6 pm
Doors Open: 11:30 am
Theme: Legacy, Empowerment, and Sustainability
Author Panels, Fireside Chats, Appetizers & Refreshments
Books for sale | MVBBF Merchandise for sale | Book Signings | Appetizers & Refreshments
Participating Authors
BROWSE
Empowerment
Keisha Lance Bottoms
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KEISHA LANCE BOTTOMS, currently the Democratic Nominee for Governor of Georgia, is a trailblazing attorney, former Mayor of Atlanta, Senior Advisor to President Joseph Biden and the daughter of R & B legend Major Lance. The first Atlanta mayor in modern history to serve in all three branches of government, she led her city through a pandemic, a cyberattack, and a historic moment of racial reckoning with grace, grit, and an unshakeable Southern backbone. In her debut memoir, The Rough Side of the Mountain, she goes beyond the highlight reel excavating the buried truths, the family love, and the hard-won authenticity that shaped everything she’s become.
Fiction
Amy Dubois Barnett
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Amy DuBois Barnett is an award-winning media executive and author whose debut novel, If I Ruled the World (Flatiron Books, 2026), was released to critical acclaim and is now in development as a television series at Hulu.
Barnett previously made history as the first Black woman to helm a major mainstream U.S. magazine as editor in chief of Teen People, and later led Honey and Ebony and served as deputy editor in chief of Harper’s Bazaar. She has also held senior leadership roles at BET, Paramount, Entertainment Studios, and Outside Interactive.
Barnett is also the author of the NAACP Image Award–nominated advice book Get Yours! How to Have Everything You Ever Dreamed of and More (Doubleday/Broadway Books).
A sought-after speaker and commentator, she holds degrees from Brown University and Columbia University and lives in Los Angeles.
Ashton Lattimore
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Ashton Lattimore is an award-winning author, journalist, and former lawyer. Runner is her second novel. Her debut novel, All We Were Promised, was a Book of the Month Club pick, a Washington Post and NPR Best Book of 2024, and one of PEOPLE Magazine's Best New Books for April 2024. The book also received the First Novelist Award from the Black Caucus of the American Library Association.
Ashton is the executive editor of The Preamble, and chair of the board of directors of nonprofit news outlet Prism. Her nonfiction writing has appeared in The Washington Post, Slate, CNN, Essence, and elsewhere. She is a graduate of Harvard College, Columbia Journalism School, and Harvard Law School, where she was an editor of the Harvard Law Review.
She’s a native of New Jersey, where she lives with her husband and two sons.
Walter Mosley
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Walter Mosley has published 60 books across every genre and has been translated into 25 languages.
Several of his novels have been adapted for film and tv including Devil in a Blue Dress, Always Outnumbered, Always Outgunned, The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey starring Samuel Jackson, and The Man in My Basement starring Willem Dafoe and Corey Hawkins.
His awards include an O. Henry Award, a MWA Grand Master, a CWA Diamond Dagger a Grammy®, NAACP Image awards, PEN America’s Lifetime Achievement Award, the Robert Kirsch Award, and the National Book Foundation’s Distinguished Contribution to American Letters Award.
Morgan Radford
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Morgan Radford is an anchor for NBC News based in New York City, co-host of NBC News Daily. She has won several awards for her reporting featured across TODAY, NBC Nightly News, MSNBC and in Spanish on Telemundo. A graduate of Harvard University, Columbia Journalism School and a Fulbright scholar, Radford currently serves on the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism’s Board of Visitors and is a Life Member of the Council on Foreign Relations. A lover of storytelling in all its forms, Morgan released her debut novel Now Then in 2026 with HarperCollins – a dual timeline novel spanning between Cambridge, MA and pre-revolution Havana, Cuba – in both English and Spanish.
Kennedy Ryan
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New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Kennedy Ryan writes for women from all walks of life, empowering them and placing them firmly at the center of each story and in charge of their own destinies. An ESSENCE and EBONY Power 100 Honoree, and NAACP Image Award nominee, Kennedy and her writings have been featured in NPR, Entertainment Weekly, USA Today, Glamour, Cosmo, TIME, and many others. Kennedy is an executive producer for her Skyland series, which is currently in development for television at Peacock. The co-founder of LiFT 4 Autism, an annual charitable book auction, Kennedy has a passion for raising Autism awareness. She is a wife to her “lifetime lover” and mother to an extraordinary son.
Lakita Wilson
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Lakita Wilson is the author of several novels and nonfiction projects for children and young adults, including What Is Black Lives Matter? a part of the New York Times bestselling Who HQ Now series, the middle grade novels Be Real, Macy Weaver and Pretty Girl County. Lakita's books have been Junior Library Guild gold selections, a Kirkus Best Book of 2025, a part of several state lists as well as recognized by the American Library Association and Black Caucus. Lakita received her MFA in writing for children and young adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts. Lakita lives in Prince George's County, Maryland. She can be found online at lakitawilson.com.
Nonfiction
Geoff Bennett
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Geoff Bennett is co-anchor and co-managing editor of PBS NewsHour and a political contributor for NBC News. An award-winning journalist, he is known for incisive reporting and sharp analysis of the political and cultural forces shaping American life.
Bennett has covered six presidential elections and reported from the White House under three administrations. His exclusive interviews with some of Washington’s most influential figures have made national headlines. In 2023, he was part of the NewsHour team honored with a Peabody Award for coverage of the Israel–Hamas war. In 2025, he received a Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Journalism for the program’s “On Democracy” series.
He joined PBS in 2021 from NBC News, where he served as a White House correspondent and frequent MSNBC anchor. At NBC, he was part of the team awarded the 2022 Edward R. Murrow Award for Overall Excellence.
Throughout his career, Bennett has appeared as a political analyst on ABC News, CBS News, and NPR, and previously hosted C-SPAN’s Washington Journal. He began his journalism career at ABC News’ World News Tonight with Peter Jennings after graduating from Morehouse College.
Committed to cultivating the next generation of journalists, Bennett established a scholarship at Morehouse for English and journalism majors. He also serves on the Board of Trustees of the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, supporting the nation’s largest living history museum.
He lives in the Washington, D.C., area with his wife, Spelman College alumna Dr. Beth Bennett, and their son.
Dorothy A. Brown (MV)
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Dorothy A. Brown was born and raised in the South Bronx. A nationally recognized scholar in race, wealth, and tax policy. She currently holds the Martin D. Ginsburg Chair in Taxation at Georgetown Law. She is the author of The Whiteness of Wealth: How The Tax System Impoverishes Black Americans- And How We Can Fix It (Crown 2021) and Getting to Reparations: How Building A Different America Requires A Reckoning With Our Past (Crown, 2026). She has appeared on ABC’s The View, MSNBC’s Ali Velshi show, New Yorker Radio Hour, NPR’s Marketplace, and PBS News Hour. Her opinion pieces have been published in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Atlantic.
A'Lelia Bundles
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A’Lelia Bundles is the author of five books including Joy Goddess: A’Lelia Walker and the Harlem Renaissance, a biography of her great-grandmother, and On Her Own Ground: The Life and Times of Madam C.J. Walker, a New York Times Notable Book and the factual biography that inspired Self Made, a fictional Netflix series starring Octavia Spencer.
A'Lelia is a board member of the March On! Festival, the Schlesinger Library on the History of Women at Harvard Radcliffe Institute and BIO (Biographers International). She founded the Madam Walker Family Archives, the largest private collection of Walker ephemera, photographs and correspondence.
A’Lelia was a network television producer for thirty years at NBC News and then at ABC News, where she was Washington, DC deputy bureau chief and director of talent development.
Nicole Carr
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Nicole Carr is an award-winning investigative journalist, professor, and speaker based in Atlanta, GA. Her work has explored the intersection of race, politics, education and democracy. Carr’s reporting has appeared in numerous national and local outlets including ProPublica, PBS Frontline, The Brooklyn Public Library’s Borrowed and Banned podcast, The Emancipator, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, various television stations and networks, as well as public media across the country. She is a four-time Emmy award winning journalist. Her long-form narrative investigation into the anti-DEI movement earned a 2023 Sidney Award and her essay commentary on the democratizing force of the historic Black press won a 2025 award in Op-Ed from the American Society of Authors and Editors. Carr teaches journalism at Morehouse College. She is a proud graduate of Winston-Salem State and Syracuse Universities and is currently a Ph.D. student in the Humanities at Clark Atlanta University. Her debut, forthcoming book The Price of Exclusion: The Pursuit of Healthcare in a Segregated Nation, is an ancestral journey tracing more than a century of medical and civil rights histories through the lens of lesser-known Black physicians. Carr, her husband and three children reside in Georgia.
Kemi Doll
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Dr. Kemi Doll is a physician, surgeon, researcher, and career coach. As a double board-certified gynecologic oncologist and uterine cancer scientist, she is a Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Washington School of Medicine and an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Health systems and Population Health at the School of Public Health. She leads The Gynecologic Research and Cancer Equity (GRACE) Center and hosts the weekly podcast, Your Unapologetic Career.
Jason G. Green
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Jason G. Green is a Maryland-born community organizer, attorney, entrepreneur, documentarian, and author of Too Precious to Lose. Green previously served as special assistant to the president, and associate White House Counsel to President Obama. Green co-founded SkillSmart, a company that reshapes how communities measure economic impact, and is CEO of EverGreen Labs, where he supports visionary organizations working to expand economic opportunity and strengthen community. Green serves as trustee to the Pleasant View Historic Association and supports its efforts to preserve the 160-year-old historic site. His award-winning documentary, Finding Fellowship, explores the rich history of Quince Orchard and the fight to preserve its legacy. A graduate of Washington University in St. Louis and Yale Law School, Green remains rooted in the work of truth and justice, investing in stories that remind us who we are. He currently spends time between Maryland and Dallas, Texas, with his wife, Ritu, and son, Aidan.
Michael Leach
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Michael Leach is a distinguished leader whose career spans the NFL, national politics, and the White House. Born on the South Side of Chicago, his journey has shaped him into one of today’s most trusted and relatable voices on faith, leadership, and resilience. He began his career with the Chicago Bears, advanced to NFL Headquarters managing labor relations, helped lead and build the most diverse presidential campaign team in U.S. history as Chief People Officer—culminating in a historic victory—and later served as the first-ever Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer for the White House. Now Founder and CEO of BridgeTrust Partners, Leach helps leaders and organizations strengthen trust, purpose, and impact across industries.
Trymaine Lee
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Pulitzer Prize and Emmy Award–winning journalist Trymaine Lee reports on race, power, and justice. He is the author of A Thousand Ways to Die: The True Cost of Violence on Black Life in America, an investigation into the generational toll of violence on Black families, including his own. Lee is the creator and executive producer of Hope in High Water: A People’s Recovery Twenty Years After Hurricane Katrina (Peacock) and a contributing writer to The 1619 Project. He is an MSNOW contributor and the host of the award-winning Into America podcast.
Amber Mayfield Hewett
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Amber Mayfield Hewett is a sought-after event planner and entertaining expert, best known as the founder of the To Be Hosted supper club. Amber has planned parties for top brands including Bravo TV, Pinterest, YouTube, and more. Her passion for thoughtfully curating events and generously documenting tips for home hosts earned her a spot on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list. Top media outlets, including The New York Times, Good Morning America, and Vogue, turn to Amber for expert guidance in party planning and hosting.
Cheryl McKissack Daniel
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Cheryl McKissack Daniel is Chair of the Board of McKissack & McKissack, the oldest minority- and woman-owned design and construction firm in the United States, and Chair of the New York Building Congress. A fifth-generation builder and civil engineer with more than 35 years of experience in the design and construction industry, she carries forward a family legacy that spans more than 230 years.
Under her leadership, McKissack has helped oversee more than $50 billion in construction projects in the past decade, including major developments such as the New Terminal One at JFK International Airport, the LaGuardia Central Terminal redevelopment, and Columbia University’s Manhattanville expansion.
She is the author of The Black Family Who Built America (Simon & Schuster, Black Privilege Publishing imprint), which traces her family’s extraordinary journey from enslavement to entrepreneurship and modern-day leadership, highlighting the often-overlooked contributions of Black builders who helped shape America’s physical and economic landscape.
Imani Perry
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Imani Perry is the Henry A. Morss Jr. and Elisabeth W. Morss Professor of African and African American Studies at Harvard University, and is a 2023 MacArthur Fellow. Perry is author of 9 books of nonfiction including the New York Times bestselling 2022 National Book Award Winner for Nonfiction South to America: A Journey Below the Mason Dixon to Understand the Soul of a Nation. Her other award winning and notable titles include: Looking for Lorraine: The Radiant and Radical Life of Lorraine Hansberry, May We Forever Stand: A History of the Black National Anthem and Breathe: A Letter to My Sons. Her most recent book is Black in Blues: How A Color Tells The Story of My People.
Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw
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Coiner of the widely-traveled term "Intersectionality" and founder of the #SayHerName campaign, Kimberlé W. Crenshaw is a pioneering scholar and civil rights advocate whose work has fundamentally shaped global conversations on race, gender, and the law. Alongside being the co-founder and Executive Director of the African American Policy Forum, she is the Isidor and Seville Sulzbacher Professor of Law at Columbia Law School and the Promise Institute Chair in Human Rights as well as a Distinguished Professor of Law at the University of California, Los Angeles.
Historical Fiction
Reshonda Tate
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ReShonda Tate is a powerhouse storyteller whose work brings history and humanity to life. With 54 published books to her credit, ReShonda continues to establish herself as a preeminent voice in contemporary literature. Her latest novel, With Love From Harlem (2026), is a USA Today Bestseller that captures the vibrant life and legacy of jazz entertainer Hazel Scott. Her acclaimed novel, The Queen of Sugar Hill—a fascinating portrait of Hollywood icon and trailblazer Hattie McDaniel—has been optioned for film by Academy Award-winning producers Bruce Cohen and Lisa Cortes (Rustin, Precious).
A highly sought-after motivational speaker and award-winning poet, ReShonda is the recipient of the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literature and a multi-time nominee. An inductee into the Arkansas Black Hall of Fame and the Texas Literary Hall of Fame, she is recognized as one of the premiere African American authors in the country.ReShonda’s literary success has seamlessly translated to the screen. Her novel Let the Church Say Amen was adapted into a film directed by Regina King and produced by T.D. Jakes and Queen Latifah, while The Secret She Kept aired as a feature film on TV One; ReShonda made cameo appearances in both productions. Additionally, she is an accomplished screenwriter who penned the films, Christmas in the Friendly Skies and Christmas with my Ex.
With more than three decades of experience as a journalist, ReShonda has served as a television reporter and anchor in Oklahoma City, Beaumont, and Houston. She currently serves as the Managing Editor for the Defender Network, Houston’s Leading Black Media Company. Beyond her own writing, she is a dedicated professional editor, ghostwriter, and literary consultant.
A graduate of The University of Texas at Austin, ReShonda is an active member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority and an Associate of Jack & Jill of America. She resides in Texas with her husband, Jeffrey Caradine, and is the devoted mother of three children and two bonus children.
Children
Jaylene Clark Owens
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Jaylene Clark Owens, a Harlem native in Greater Philadelphia, is an award-winning actress, poet, and children’s picture book author. Her work spans the stage, film, tv, and the page. She plays Rosie in the hit PBS Kids show, “Albie’s Elevator" and has appeared several times on "Law & Order." Jaylene’s spoken word poetry has received over 11 million streams across music platforms and social media, and has been shared by thousands, including notable celebrities and brands. She aims to captivate, educate, and motivate others through her work.
Jen Hayes Lee
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Jen Hayes Lee is a marketing executive, founder, and author passionate about storytelling that uplifts families and communities. She leads Marketing and Content at The Bump, is the founder of Bestow, a lifestyle brand known for its signature gold hoops, and the author of the children’s book The Golden Hoops (HarperCollins, September 2025). Jen also co-hosts the podcast No Guide For This, which explores the realities of modern parenting. A proud New Orleanian, she lives in New Jersey with her husband and three sons.
Cookbook
Muhammad Abdul-Hadi
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Muhammad Abdul-Hadi is the visionary founder of Down North Pizza and North Star Collective, a purpose-driven hospitality group redefining the intersection of food, culture, and social impact. A 2024 James Beard Leadership Award honoree, he is nationally recognized for pioneering fair-chance employment by exclusively hiring and empowering formerly incarcerated individuals.
Through the Collective, Abdul-Hadi has expanded with Out West, a café and cultural hub in West Philadelphia, and the Down North Foundation, which advances reentry support and community development. His initiatives include the Growing Freedom Project, a holistic program cultivating food security, healing, and empowerment across Philadelphia.
Abdul-Hadi is also the author of the NAACP Image Award nominated, We the Pizza: Slangin’ Pies and Savin’ Lives (Penguin Random House, 2025), a cookbook blending recipes with the social mission behind his work. Abdul-Hadi continues to prove that food is more than sustenance—it is a tool for justice, belonging, and transformation.
Leadership, Motivation, & Self-Help
Imamu Tomlinson
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Imamu Tomlinson, MD, MBA, is the Chief Executive Officer of Vituity, a leading physician-owned, multispecialty partnership serving more than 13 million patients nationwide. An emergency physician, podcast host, and author of Less Than One Percent, Tomlinson is widely recognized for his perspective on leadership, disruption, and expanding access to opportunity. His work challenges conventional thinking about success, innovation, and the systems that shape who gets to lead.
Audiobook
Courtney B. Vance
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Courtney is a Tony Award, NAACP Image Award, and two-time Emmy Award-winning actor and producer known for his iconic roles in films and TV shows such as The Preacher's Wife, American Crime Story: The People vs. OJ Simpson, Lovecraft Country, 61st Street, Hamburger Hill, The Hunt For Red October, and Heist 88, as well as Lucky Guy, Fences, and Six Degrees of Separation on Broadway, to name a few. Courtney currently stars in the history-making box office hit film Lilo & Stitch, the popular Disney+ series Percy Jackson & The Olympians, and the forthcoming second season of the Apple TV+ series Presumed Innocent. At this week's Martha's Vineyard African American Film Festival, movie fans have had a chance to see the PBS documentary, to which Courtney lent his voice, titled W.E.B Du Bois: Rebel With A Cause and the Solvan "Slick" Naim indie feature film titled Girl Dad in which Courtney stars alongside Marsai Martin. Courtney is the Chairman and President of the SAG-AFTRA Foundation and the co-founder of Bassett Vance Productions alongside his wife, Angela Bassett. Courtney is the proud author of two books, Friends: A Love Story, which was co-written with Angela Bassett, and The Invisible Ache: Black Men Identifying Their Pain and Reclaiming Their Power, with co-writer Dr. Robin L. Smith with award-winning journalist Charisse Jones. He earned a Grammy nomination for his narration of Neil DeGrasse Tyson’s ACCESSORY TO WAR. Most recently, Courtney narrated the audiobooks for the two-volume Pulitzer Prize-winning W.E.B. Du Bois: Biography of a Race by David Levering Lewis. He is also the recipient of a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Self-Published
Charlie Lewis
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Imamu Tomlinson, MD, MBA, is the Chief Executive Officer of Vituity, a leading physician-owned, multispecialty partnership serving more than 13 million patients nationwide. An emergency physician, podcast host, and author of Less Than One Percent, Tomlinson is widely recognized for his perspective on leadership, disruption, and expanding access to opportunity. His work challenges conventional thinking about success, innovation, and the systems that shape who gets to lead.
2026 Program
Moderated by
Traci Wilkes Smith
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Traci Wilkes Smith is the Founder and CEO of the Martha’s Vineyard Black Book Festival (MVBBF) and Senior Vice President at CSE, a sports and media talent representation agency. Traci’s focus is representing award-winning journalists, best-selling authors, athletes, senior-level media executives and new media creators. Most recently, Traci was the visionary behind now New York Times Bestselling author and NBC News Anchor and Investigative Correspondent, Vicky Nguyen’s Memoir, “Boat Baby.” Books Traci has co-represented are “The Price of Exclusion” by Author and Emmy Award Winner journalist, Nicole Carr, pub date June 2026; “First, Best” by Mayor Steven L. Reed, pub date, 2023; “Black Women Will Save The World-An Anthem” by White House Correspondent, April Ryan, pub date, 2022; and “They Can’t Kill Us All” by Wesley Lowery, pub date, 2016.
In 2024, MVBBF’s inaugural event, launched with a mission to foster discussion, reflection, and celebration of Black authors and their literary works. In 2025, MVBBF proudly hosted the second installment of the Festival, guided by the theme: “Lifting Black Voices of Wisdom, Inspiration, and Perseverance.” The day celebrated the richness of Black literary expression and the enduring power of storytelling. Traci had the honor to moderate a conversation with Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson. The Festival garnered national recognition, with mentions of Traci in National Geographic, The New York Times, and Forbes.
In 2026, MVBBF successfully launched the Seasonal Virtual Book Club. Traci co-moderated the Winter installment with NY Times Indie Bestselling author Tiffany D. Jackson discussing her powerful book, “Blood in the Water.” There were over hundred attendees from states across the country.
Traci has served as an attorney and agent at WTA, a law clerk for the Superior Court of New Jersey, and an associate at ArentFox, LLP. Traci earned a BA in Political Science and African American studies from Rutgers College and a J.D. from Rutgers University School of Law. Traci is also a member of the New York and New Jersey state bars.
Traci, a summer resident of Oak Bluffs, is married to Charles Smith, a fourth generation Vineyarder. They have two children and they believe in giving back to the community. Traci serves on the Rutgers University Executive Advisory Council appointed by the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and the Executive Board of Directors for the National Blood Clot Alliance which holds special significance to Traci having survived a pulmonary embolism at the age of twenty-five. Also a Breast Cancer survivor, Traci is a passionate health advocate who believes in the power of positive thinking. Traci has served on the Board of the New York Association of Black Women Attorneys and is a 2020 fellow of the Council of Urban Professionals. She is also a Troop Leader for the Girl Scouts, member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and Greater Essex County Chapter of Jack & Jill of America, Inc. Traci regularly appears and moderates industry panels. In her spare time, Traci plays tennis, meets with her Book Club, and is currently writing her first book.
Victoria Christopher Murray
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Victoria Christopher Murray is a New York Times and USA Today best selling author of The Personal Librarian and The First Ladies. She attended Hampton University, and received her MBA from New York University Stern School of Business.
With more than 30 titles and 3 million books in print, Victoria has won ten African American Literary Awards, and has five NAACP Image Award nominations, where she won in 2016. Five of her novels have been made into movies for Lifetime.
Her latest novel, Harlem Rhapsody is a USA Today Best Seller and was a CBS News Calvi Book Club pick.
Jordan Hernandez
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Jordan Hernandez is the founder of Completely Booked, a nationally recognized literary platform celebrating diverse voices and connecting readers through live author conversations, curated events, and digital storytelling. Since launching in 2020, Completely Booked has grown into a 25K+ community and has been featured by Oprah’s Book Club and The Today Show. Jordan has moderated conversations at festivals including the Martha’s Vineyard Black Book Festival, The Bronx Is Reading Book Festival, the Morristown Book Festival, and the Gaithersburg Book Festival.
Professionally, Jordan serves as Director of Content Marketing at Citizen Relations, bringing over a decade of experience leading large teams and collaborating with major organizations and cultural figures. She is also the co-owner of Double Dough, a baking business featured on NBC and Hulu, a two-time marathoner, and an active community leader recognized by the City of Hoboken for her service. Through every role, Jordan is committed to amplifying stories, building meaningful connection, and creating spaces where culture and community thrive.
Adriana Ladouceur
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Adriana is a literary content creator and moderator who uses her platform to celebrate Black authors and spark conversations that extend beyond the page. Through engaging reviews, community dialogue, and live events, including moderating conversations with notable cultural voices, she creates spaces where readers turn literary discussions into engaging cultural moments, both online and on stage.
Lavaille Lavette
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Lavaille Lavette is an author, media executive, and community advocate whose work bridges storytelling, entrepreneurship, and purpose-driven impact. She is the creator of the Roopster Roux series, which she expanded into innovative luxury gas stations and car wash concepts grounded in mission, community uplift, and economic empowerment. Lavette is a Principal of JVL Media, the production company founded by Academy Award–winning actress Viola Davis and producer Julius Tennon, where she contributes to strategic storytelling and values-driven content creation. Her career is distinguished by sustained community engagement, advocacy, and leadership focused on equity, culture, and creating platforms that drive both inspiration and tangible change.
Areva Martin
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Passionate, outspoken and insightful, AREVA MARTIN is one of the country’s leading influencers shaping the national conversation on a range of topics from social justice to women’s reproductive health. A CNN contributor, an award-winning civil rights attorney, a civic leader, a talk show host and an entrepreneur, Areva is an audience favorite on numerous networks and a long list of television shows from Good Morning America to Dateline.
Her television credits include co-hosting the Emmy Award-winning daytime talk show The Doctors and the CBS syndicated talk show Face the Truth.
Areva is the host of the KBLA daily prime time radio and streaming news, politics and social affairs show, Areva Martin in Real Time. In 2022, Areva won an Anthem Silver Award and Bronze and Silver Telly Awards for her video podcast, The Special Report with Areva Martin.
A prolific writer, her opinion pieces on racial and gender equity, leadership, success principles, mentorship and disability rights are read regularly by millions. She has written hundreds of articles and op-ed pieces for publications including USA Today, Ebony, CNN.comand Thrive Global. Areva has front-page and in fold features in Power, Forbes, Redbook, Essence, Gladys, Sheen, Ebony, Gazelle and CEO Mom. magazines.
A USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author, Areva’s books include, The Everyday Advocate: Standing Up for Your Child with Autism; Make It Rain: How to Use the Media to Revolutionize Your Business and Brand; and Awakening: Ladies, Leadership and the Lies We’ve Been Told.
A serial entrepreneur, Areva is the founder and President of Special Needs Network, one of the nation’s leading autism and social justice organizations. She has raised millions of dollars for autism and related causes and has helped to shape national and regional policies on serving underserved communities and children and adults living with autism.
Areva is also the founder and Principal of Martin & Martin, LLP, one of Los Angeles’ premier Black, female-owned law firms. She has been identified as a California Super Lawyer for the last eight years, a designation reserved for the top five percent of the state’s attorneys. Areva is a leading voice on issues of reparative justice and reparations and currently is the lead attorney on significant legal cases in multiple cities across the nation involving thousands of claimants whose losses exceed $75 billion dollars.
The recipient of over 100 leadership, business, nonprofit and media awards and commendations including L’Oreal Paris’ Women of Worth Award, California Black Caucus Leadership Award, Los Angeles County Women of the Year, Ford’s Living Legend Award, James Irvine Foundation Leadership Award, National Medical Fellowships Champions of Health Award and Greater Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce Lawyer of the Year Award. In 2022, Areva was identified as one of 100 Most Influential Blacks in the country and inducted into Know Your Legacy Virtual Black History Museum as a leading Black changemaker. She also received a 2022 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Urban League.
Areva graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from the University of Chicago and Cum Laude with a Juris Doctorate degree from Harvard Law School.
Marty McDonald
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Marty McDonald is a USA Today bestselling author of Audacious and the founder of Boss Women Media, a nationally recognized platform that has elevated and supported thousands of women entrepreneurs through programming, events, and partnerships with major brands. She is also the founder of Elle Olivia, a children’s lifestyle brand rooted in representation, confidence, and big possibility. Known for her dynamic presence and ability to lead high impact conversations, Marty has moderated and hosted discussions with founders, executives, and cultural leaders, translating powerful stories into practical takeaways that move audiences to action.
April Ryan
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White House Correspondent April Ryan has a unique vantage point as the only Black female reporter covering urban issues from the White House – a position she has held for 28 years, since the Clinton era. She is now the longest-serving Black tenured White House Correspondent in the History of the United States. Her position as a White House Correspondent has afforded her unusual insight into the racial sensitivities, issues, and attendant political struggles of our nation’s past presidents.
April can be seen on MSNBC. She is also the Washington D.C Bureau Chief and Senior White House Reporter for The Black Press, USA. She has been featured in Essence, Vogue, Cosmopolitan and Elle magazines – to name a few. April Ryan has served on the board of the prestigious White House Correspondents Association. She is one of only three African Americans in the Association’s over 100-year history to serve on its board. She is also an esteemed member of the National Press Club. In 2015, Ms. Ryan was nominated for an NAACP Image Award (Outstanding Literary Work - Debut Author) for her first book.
In 2016, she was presented with the Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune Trailblazer Award from the National Council of Negro Women. In 2019, April Ryan became an honorary member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated and was recognized as the 2019 Freedom of the Press Award Winner by the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press. April was nominated in 2021 with the NAACP Image Award for Social Justice Impact. In 2024, she was selected as an honoree for the category of “Media Maves” as part of EBONY Magazine’s Power 100. April is a Baltimore native and Morgan State University graduate, and she gives back to this community by serving as a mentor to aspiring journalists and assisting with developing “up and coming” broadcasters. April considers her greatest life’s work raising her two daughters, Ryan and Grace – who are phenomenal young women.
April Ryan is the author of the award-winning book, The Presidency in Black and White, and At Mama's Knee: Mothers and Race in Black and White (December 2016), where she looks at race relations through the lessons and wisdom that mothers have given their children. April is also the author of Under Fire: Reporting from the Front Lines of the Trump White House. Her latest book, Black Women Will Save the World, celebrates Black women's resilience and unheralded strength, reflects on "The Year That Changed Everything" — 2020 — and discusses African-American women's unprecedented role in upholding democracy.
Charles Smith
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Charles Smith, a graduate of Morehouse College and Fordham Law School, is the Global Head of Anti-Financial Crime at MetLife. Charles' family has been homeowners on Martha's Vineyard going back four generations to when his great-grandmother, Sally Fisher-Clark, purchased their first home in Oak Bluffs in 1939. Charles grew up spending summers on the island and loves the rich black cultural experiences it offers. Charles is happily married to MVBBF founder Traci Wilkes Smith. They live together with their two children and enjoy each summer with their family on this beautiful and most special island.
Tamika Christy
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Tamika Christy is the award-winning author of three published novels, Anytime Soon, Never Too Soon, and Roux, with a fourth recently completed, and the founder of Our Writes Matter, a platform that supports and elevates women over 50 in building author brands and writing careers through coaching, digital products, and community programming. Her compelling narratives challenge societal norms and spark meaningful conversations, focusing on healthy family dynamics, generational trauma, and the resilience it takes to break the cycle.
Known for storytelling that is both deeply personal and widely relatable, Tamika has moderated discussions with other authors, including at the Martha's Vineyard Black Book Festival in 2025. She was recently honored by the NAACP with a Community Service Award for her work cultivating literacy in East Oakland, where her Kinder class posted the highest test score gains across two K-12 campuses. Kirkus Reviews has praised her ability to "ably tackle big drama in a light-hearted way," a hallmark of the voice that has built her devoted readership since her debut novel, Anytime Soon.
Nasozi Kakembo
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Nasozi Kakembo is the founder, designer, and creative director of xN Studio, an interior design and home product design practice she founded in Brooklyn, NY, and Kampala, Uganda, in 2011. She is also is the author of The African Decor Edit: Collecting and Decorating with Heritage Objects — her debut book which launched on October 1, 2024, with Abrams Books.
With a unique blend of Ugandan heritage and American upbringing (she's a third generation summer Vineyarder), Nasozi seamlessly integrates traditional African objects with contemporary aesthetics, garnering global acclaim for emphasizing the necessity of ethically sourced African wares as decor. Nasozi has over 20 years of experience in international development across Africa, Europe, the Caribbean, and South America. Having traveled to 44 countries, she brings deep, authoritative knowledge to her work.
Antonia Adams
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Antonia Adams is an avid reader, former educator, and the founder of BlackGirlThatReads. She is recognized in the book community for her focus on uplifting authors of the global majority, particularly Black women authors. She has moderated several author talks, and is also a bookseller at Kindred Stories in the Third Ward neighborhood in Houston, TX.
Shantia Coley
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Shantia Coley is an attorney, speaker, moderator, and creator behind Well Read Attorney, a growing online community that inspires busy professionals to make time for reading. A lifelong lover of both law and literature, she combines her passion for storytelling with a commitment to amplifying Black authors and diverse voices. Through engaging book recommendations, author interviews, and literary event coverage, Shantia helps readers discover books that inform, entertain, and connect us. Her mission is simple: to show that even with demanding careers and full lives, there is always room for a great book.
Steve Jones
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An esteemed Television Academy member, multi-hyphenate Steve Jones is a journalist, author, and producer whose notable Executive Producer credits include Jennifer Lopez’s first holiday visual, and the Oprah Winfrey Network’s Wearable Art Gala Special, featuring Beyoncé’s first televised interview in six years. He additionally produced three seasons of OWN’s record-breaking docuseries, Black Love.
He is also the creator of Hollywood Confidential, a groundbreaking event series that has served as a North Star for creatives of color dreaming of a career in Hollywood for over a decade. Past honorees include Oscar-winning Lupita Nyong’o, Regina King, Angela Bassett, Sterling K. Brown, Issa Rae, Snoop Dogg, and more.
Recently honored by the City of Los Angeles, Mayor Karen Bass, and the Board of Public Works for his impact on the entertainment industry, Jones has been featured in Variety, People, Deadline, and Essence’s Hollywood Issue. He’s also appeared as a repeat guest on CNN’s Anderson Cooper 360 and CNN Tonight with Don Lemon. A trusted host and journalist, he notably landed the first interview with Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez as a reunited couple for Adweek.
Adding “author” to his growing list of titles, Jones recently released his first book with HarperCollins, Hollywood Confidential: 12 Secrets to Becoming the Star of Your Own Life. With a foreword by Grammy Award-winning artist Brandy and an endorsement from Emmy-winning sensation Tabitha Brown, the book serves as yet another extension of Jones’ mission: to inspire, champion, and awaken the dreamer within.
Speakers
Kelley Cornish
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Kelley Cornish is President and CEO of the T.D. Jakes Foundation, where she leads efforts to expand workforce readiness, economic mobility, and community impact for individuals and communities with limited access to opportunity. A purpose-driven executive with nearly four decades of leadership experience, Kelley is widely recognized for advancing strategies that connect leadership, equity, and sustainable social change.
Throughout her career, Kelley has led from the intersection of business performance and community impact. Prior to joining the Foundation, she served as Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer at Wells Fargo & Company, where she helped drive enterprise strategy, alignment, and accountability across key internal functions. She also held senior diversity and inclusion leadership roles at TD Bank Group, AmeriHealth Caritas, and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, where she championed inclusive leadership, equitable opportunity, and organizational cultures that empower people to thrive.
Kelley is a dynamic voice on leadership, legacy, resilience, and the responsibility of using influence to create meaningful change. She is the host of the podcast Life + Leadership UNPLUGGED with Kelley Cornish, where she shares insights on self-care, resetting, and leading with intention in both life and work.
A history-maker and changemaker, Kelley became the first woman in Wiley University’s 152-year history in 2025 to serve as Vice Chair of its Board of Trustees and now serves as Treasurer. Her work has earned numerous honors, including the 2026 School of Business Alumnus of the Year award from the University of South Carolina Aiken, the 2026 Influential Catalyst Award from Cheryl Magazine, recognition as a 2023 Woman of Influence by SUCCESS Magazine, and the 2022 Woman of the Year Award from iHeartMedia.
Kelley holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of South Carolina Aiken and a master’s degree in Human Resource Management from Webster University. She is currently enrolled in the University of California, Berkeley CEO Program, is a Certified Diversity Professional through Cornell University, and has completed executive coursework at the Harvard Kennedy School.
Courtney B. Vance
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Courtney is a Tony Award, NAACP Image Award, and two-time Emmy Award-winning actor and producer known for his iconic roles in films and TV shows such as The Preacher's Wife, American Crime Story: The People vs. OJ Simpson, Lovecraft Country, 61st Street, Hamburger Hill, The Hunt For Red October, and Heist 88, as well as Lucky Guy, Fences, and Six Degrees of Separation on Broadway, to name a few. Courtney currently stars in the history-making box office hit film Lilo & Stitch, the popular Disney+ series Percy Jackson & The Olympians, and the forthcoming second season of the Apple TV+ series Presumed Innocent. At this week's Martha's Vineyard African American Film Festival, movie fans have had a chance to see the PBS documentary, to which Courtney lent his voice, titled W.E.B Du Bois: Rebel With A Cause and the Solvan "Slick" Naim indie feature film titled Girl Dad in which Courtney stars alongside Marsai Martin. Courtney is the Chairman and President of the SAG-AFTRA Foundation and the co-founder of Bassett Vance Productions alongside his wife, Angela Bassett. Courtney is the proud author of two books, Friends: A Love Story, which was co-written with Angela Bassett, and The Invisible Ache: Black Men Identifying Their Pain and Reclaiming Their Power, with co-writer Dr. Robin L. Smith with award-winning journalist Charisse Jones. He earned a Grammy nomination for his narration of Neil DeGrasse Tyson’s ACCESSORY TO WAR. Most recently, Courtney narrated the audiobooks for the two-volume Pulitzer Prize-winning W.E.B. Du Bois: Biography of a Race by David Levering Lewis. He is also the recipient of a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
The mission of MVBBF is to foster discussion, reflection, and celebration of Black authors and their literary works.
The MVBBF is based on the beautiful Martha’s Vineyard Island where Black families historically vacation and writers convene each summer. This celebration is a unique opportunity for both aspiring and well-established Black authors in fiction, non-fiction, young adult, and children to support, share, and celebrate Black literary excellence.
MVBBF 2026 TITLE SPONSORS
MVBBF 2026 FRIEND SPONSORS
Contact us to learn about sponsorship opportunities.
MVBBF PRESS
Venue Details
Island Inn Conference Center
30 Island Inn Road, Oak Bluffs, MA 02557
NO PARKING AT VENUE
The Island Inn Conference Center parking is only available for registered hotel guests.
There is NO parking at the Island Inn Conference Center for MVBBF attendees.
Shuttle Bus Option:
Park your car at the Oak Bluffs School, 50 Tradewinds Road, Oak Bluffs. Parking is in the back of the building.
The Shuttle Bus will depart from Oak Bluffs School every 15 - 20 minutes starting 11 am - 1 pm and drop off at the Island Inn Conference Center.
Returning to Oak Bluffs School: The Shuttle Bus will depart from the Island Inn Conference Center back to the Oak Bluffs School every 15 - 20 minutes starting 5 pm.
Rideshare Option:
When taking a Rideshare to and from the Island Inn Conference Center, for drop off, it is best to exit the Rideshare at Noman’s Restaurant Parking Lot and it is a short walk up to the Island Inn Conference Center Entrance.
Walking Option:
The Island Inn Conference Center is a 20-minute walk from the center of Oak Buffs. It is also adjacent to Noman’s restaurant and a 10-minute walk to nearby beaches.
Transportation:
Air: Fly direct to Martha's Vineyard (MVY).
Ferry: Go to the Steamship Authority for booking a ferry ticket with or without your car.
Rentals: You can rent a car or bike on the island.
Walking: The Island Inn Conference Center is a 20-minute walk from the center of Oak Bluffs.
Lodging Options:
For lodging options visit VRBO, Airbnb, Martha's Vineyard Online, and Martha's Vineyard Lodging Association.
Day Visit:
If you plan to visit for the day parking is available off island via the Steamship Authority.
Go to the Steamship Authority to book a ferry ticket without your car.
Lodging Off-Island:
If lodging off-island visit VRBO or Airbnb for hotels in Falmouth, MA.
MVBBF Local Vendors:
Event Planner: B. Edelin Events Planning
Audio: DJ Smooth B
Photographer: So Focused Photography
Rentals: Tilton Rentals
Festival Attendance
Local, national, and international attendees:
Tickets are NON-REFUNDABLE. If you are unable to use your ticket, you may transfer it to another party. Please provide your substitution name and email to event organizers. Be prepared to show your MVBBF ticket upon admission.
MVBBF is RAIN OR SHINE.
ATTN: MVBBF 2026 is NOT currently soliciting authors for participation for the festival, live, virtual, or otherwise. Please disregard any unauthorized emails that may be received.
2027 MVBBF Author Book Submission Information:
The MVBBF 2027 Author Application will open January 2027.
2026 MVBBF Author Book Submission Information:
The MVBBF Author application is now CLOSED. The deadline to submit the application was February 6, 2026 at 11:30 pm ET.
Please do not email to be considered for the 2026 Festival.You must complete and submit an MVBBF Author application to be considered.
If you missed the 2026 author submission deadline please consider applying for the 2027 Festival.
If you submitted an application in a previous year you must submit a new application to be considered for 2026 Festival.
If you missed the 2026 author submission deadline you are not able to participate as an MVBBF author and sell books. Please still consider attending the Festival.
The MVBBF Committee will review 2026 applications.
Only newly published books in 2025 and 2026 (prior to the Festival date) will be considered for the 2026 Festival. There are no exceptions.
Please do not submit books published prior to 2025.
Please do not submit books that are republished and in paperback in 2025 or 2026.
Please do not submit book titles that have been featured as an author or moderator in the Festival.
Authors must be present on MV on Saturday, August 15, 2026.
MVBBF does not provide author travel or lodging.
There are a limited number of author submission spots available.
MVBBF accepts independent self-published and published authors.
Festival submissions were open until February 6, 2026. The selection process will began following and extended through the Spring. Your patience was greatly appreciated.
In consideration of the MVBBF Committee process we asked that you did not follow up on your submission status.
If you are not selected as a participating author please do not email requesting individual feedback. Please still consider attending the 2026 Festival and becoming part of the growing MVBBF community.
Thank you for your interest.
2026 MVBBF Moderator Information
Unfortunately MVBBF is not looking for moderators.
Contact Us
For all media inquiries please follow the link below.