As usual, one of my favorite events of the year came right on time. Filled with a crowd of librarians, storytellers, cultural enthusiasts, activists and artists, the Anisfield-Wolf Awards did not disappoint.
I didn’t get the best photos this year, but the event itself was phenomenal. The overarching spirit throughout was surrounding ancestor Toni Morrison. You could feel it in the air. Presenters like Lifetime Achievement Winner Sonia Sanchez delivered a tribute to the life and work of Morrison.
I was quite familiar with Tracy K. Smith’s Wade in the Water book of poetry and many of the titles of Sonia Sanchez, thoroughly enjoying them reading from their books. The other two, The War Before the War: Fugitive Slaves and the Struggle for America’s Soul from the Revolution to the Civil War and There There by Andrew Delbanco and Tommy Orange respectively, sounded so intriguing that I immediately added them to my Goodreads ‘Want to Read’ list. Now I just have to make some time to read them!
Jury Chair Skip Gates 
Rita Dove 
Toni Morrison Tribute 
Tracy K. Smith 
Tommy Orange 
Andrew Delbanco 
Sonia Sanchez
AKOFENA ARTS - IT'S A VIBE 