8:30 AM - 9:00 AM:

Continental Breakfast

9:00 AM - 10:00 AM:

Continental Breakfast

9:30 AM - 10:00 AM:

Continental Breakfast

9:30 AM - 10:00 AM:

Continental Breakfast

9:30 AM - 12:00 PM:

Nurturing a Love of Literature with Janice N. Harrington, Nora Brooks Blakely, Chocolate Chips Theater Company

10:00 AM - 7:00 PM::

Free HIV/AIDS Testing

10:00 AM -11:30 AM:

Fiction Panel

Moderator: Sandra Jackson-Opoku

Panelists:

Kalisha Buckhanon, Bayo Ojikutu,

Nnedi Okorafor-Mbachu

10:00 AM - 11:00 AM:

Hip-Hop & Social Justice

Moderator: Bakari Kitwana

Panelists: Adam Matthews, Keisha Price

10:00 AM

Welcome

12:00 PM - 2:00 PM:

Break

11:45 AM - 1:30 PM:

Fiction Writing Workshop w/ Kalisha Buckhanon

Gwendolyn Brooks Center, Douglas Hall 210-A

(Closed Session Additional Registration Required)

11:30 AM - 12:00 PM:

Keynote Speaker:

Dr. Donda West

10:00 AM - 10:30 AM:

A Giant's Day Celebration of the LIfe and Works of Sonia Sancez

Testimonials: Angela Jackson, Haki Madhubuti, Ed Roberson, Kelly Norman Ellis

2:00 PM - 3:30 PM:

Spreading the Word: Practical Strategies for Teaching Creative Writing

Moderator: Sandra Jackson-Opoku

Panelists: Randall Horton, Kamesha Jackson and Tacuma Roeback

11:30 AM - 12:45 PM:

Featured Reading:

Nnedi Okorafor-Mbachu and Bayo Ojikutu

12:00 PM - 1:00 PM:

Break

10:00 AM - 12:30 PM:

Poetry Writing Workshop w/ Martín Espada

Auditorium Level 4 ,

University Library

(Closed Session Additional Registration Required)

4:00 PM- 6:00 PM

Workshop: Writing Children's Literature w/ Janice N. Harrington

Legislative Conference Room

301,

Third Floor,

University Library

(Closed Session Additional Registration Required)

1:00 PM- 2:00 PM:

Break

1:00 PM- 2:30 PM:

Poetry Reading

 Moderator:

Kelly Norman Ellis

Panelists: Gregory Pardlo, Camille Dungy, Jacqueline Jones LaMon, Adrian Matejka, Evie Shockley

10:30 AM - 12:00 PM:

Sonia Sanchez: Presence and Impact

Moderator: Kelly Norman Ellis

Panelists:

Jacqueline Jones LaMon, Evie Shockley, Julius E. Thompson

2:30 PM: - 3:30 PM:

Gwendolyn Brooks Panel

Moderator: Jacqueline Bryant

Panelists: Cheryl Clarke, Margo Crawford, Gregory Pardlo, Randall Horton

12:00 PM - 1:00 PM:

Break

3:30PM- 5:00PM:

Media Panel

Moderator: Brenda Eatman Aghahowa

Panelists: William Cox, Cheryl Corley

3:30 PM- 4:30 PM:

Featured Reading:

Tayari Jones and Ed Roberson

5:15 PM- 6:00 PM:

MFA Student Reading:

Randall Horton, Nicole Martinez

2:00 PM - 3:00 PM:

Sister Poets in the Black Arts Movement

Moderator: Margo Crawford

Panelists: Sterling Plumpp, Angela Jackson

6:00 PM- 7:00 PM:

Evening Break

6:30 PM - 7:00 PM: 

The International  Literary Hall of Fame for Writers of African Descent

Keynote Speaker:

Julius E. Thompson

Breakey Theatre,

Douglas Hall

3:00 PM - 3:30PM:

Keynote Speaker:

Martín Espada

7:00 PM - 8:30 PM:

Verbs & Vibes Performance

Performers:

Haki R. Madhubuti with Nicole Mitchell and the Black Earth Ensemble

7:00 PM - 8:30 PM:

10th Annual Induction for the National Literary Hall of Fame for Writers of African Descent

Breakey Theatre, Douglas Hall

8:30 PM - 10:00 PM

"Open Mic" Competition

8:30 PM- 10:00 PM:

Hall of Fame Reception

Gwendolyn Brooks Center,

Douglas Hall

4:00 PM - 6:00 PM:

Writing Hip-Hop Journalism w/ Adam Matthews

University Library Auditorium Level 4

(Closed Session Additional Registration Required)

5:00 PM - 7:00 PM:

Evening Break

7:00 PM - 8:00 PM:

Giant's Day Address:

Sonia Sanchez

8:00 PM - 8:30 PM

Literary Awards Presentation

Closing Comments:

Professor Haki Madhubuti, Founder and Director Emeritus, Gwendolyn Brooks Center ; Distinguished University Professor, Chicago State University

Quraysh Ali Lansana, Director, Gwendolyn Brooks Center;

Assistant Professor of English and Creative Writing,

Chicago State University

8:30 PM - 10:00 PM:

Giant's Day Reception