Zora Neale Huston Festival Dallas
Join us on Saturday, January 11, 2025 at the Oak Cliff Cultural Center for the Zora Neale Hurston Festival Dallas with book and merch, art, workshops, storytelling, live music performance, and more.
Exhibition selected works from Bitter Waters Sweet by Letitia Huckaby, up through February 8, 2025-Letitia Huckaby has a degree in Journalism from the University of Oklahoma, a BFA from the Art Institute of Boston in photography and her Master’s degree in Fine Arts with an emphasis in Photography from the University of North Texas in Denton. Huckaby has exhibited as an emerging artist in State of the Art at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Phillips New York, the Tyler Museum of Art, The Studio School of Harlem, Renaissance Fine Art in Harlem curated by Deborah Willis, PhD, The McNay Museum of Art in San Antonio, the Camden Palace Hotel in Cork City, Ireland, and the Musée National Du Mali. Her work is included in several prestigious collections; the Library of Congress, the McNay Art Museum, the Huntington Library, Art Museum and Botanical Gardens, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, Maison Africaine de la Photographie in Bamako, Mali, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, and the Samella Lewis Contemporary Art Collection at Scripps College in Claremont, California. Huckaby was a featured artist in the travelling exhibition Emancipation: The Unfinished Project of Liberation which premiered at the Amon Carter Museum and has since travelled to the Newcomb Museum of Art in New Orleans. Ms. Huckaby was a Fall 2020 Art Pace Artist in Residence and is represented by the Talley Dunn Gallery in Dallas. Ms. Huckaby is the Co-Founder of Kinfolk House, a collaborative project space that inhabits a 100-year-old historic home, where community and art converge in the predominantly Black and Latina/e/o neighborhood of Polytechnic in Fort Worth, Texas, she was named the Texas Artist of the Year for 2022 and is currently part of a major traveling exhibition entitled “Emancipation: The Unfinished Project of Liberation.”
12:00 PM – Donya Craddock of the Dock Book Shop and Trelani Michelle of Krak Teet in conversation via Instagram Live – Donya Craddock alongside her sister Donna Craddock, is the co-owner of The Dock Bookshop, which opened in 2008 and is one the largest African American owned full-service bookstore in Texas. She is leader of various reading and community groups. Donya is a member of the American Booksellers Association Advisory Board and is a committee member for Reading of the West. She is a Certified Professional Bookseller in Event Management through Professional Booksellers School. Donya is also in Mortgage Banking and Real Estate. She received her BA in Economics and History from Iowa State University and Master of Business Administration. Donya is a member of Fort Worth Alumnae Chapter Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. She is from Omaha, NE and lives in Fort Worth, TX for over 27 years. Donya is the proud mother of Donovan Craddock.
Trelani Michelle is a Louisiana and Savannah native with over 12 years of experience as a Multidisciplinary Southern Storyteller, Afrofuturist Anthropologist, and community organizer. She is the founder of Krak Teet, an organization that explores how #WeAllCousins by curating spaces for folk to tell their personal and community stories via interviews, panels, immersive workshops, and social media. Her research interests include womanism, traditional plant medicine, Black migrations, and African-rooted cultural expressions in the Americas, including language, foodways, music, art, and spiritual practices. She is the author of Krak Teet, a catalog of Black Savannah’s biographies, and co-author of the New York Times bestselling Gullah Geechee Homecooking. You can learn more about her work at TrelaniMichelle.com
12:30 PM – Akwete Tyehimba, Pan-African Connection Zora Neale Hurston presentation
2:00 PM – Adinkra Printmaking Workshop with Ashley Jordan – Delve into the vibrant tradition of Adinkra symbols by handcrafting your very own custom stamp. Then, let your creativity flourish as you use it to adorn a unique canvas tote bag, the perfect accessory for carrying your market essentials. You can also utilize your custom stamp to design a canvas tote bag, adding a touch of individuality to your look. This immersive activity not only honors a rich cultural heritage but also empowers you to create meaningful and practical items
5:00 PM – Host B. Randall and Friends: Lyrique Jaye, Mz Jolie, Brenden Lewis, and Mz Viki Poetry Event–B. Randall is the dynamic host of Poetry Smash and Poets N Jazz at The Black Academy of Arts and Letters, renowned for her role as host/producer of the acclaimed “In The Words Of A Sistah,” the longest-running all-female cast poetry show. With a passion for inspiring others, she launched her first touring show, “Poetry Is My Praise,” in 2012, captivating audiences with her inspirational and spiritual poetry. Committed to social impact, Randall was commissioned to pen a poignant poem commemorating the 50th Anniversary of desegregation by the Multicultural Alumni Association of Texas A&M –Commerce. Her recorded works have graced prestigious platforms like the 500X Gallery. As co-writer, producer, and director of A Poets Tribute to Nina, she continues to push artistic boundaries. Invited to speak at the National Day of Prayer Luncheon and the Texas State Capitol. Randall is a respected voice of empowerment and community engagement. Randall latest projects is Poet’s Prom a celebration of Poets in the DFW. Her dedication extends beyond the stage as she serves as a mentor to emerging artists, and consulting artist leaving a lasting legacy of inspiration and creativity.
Lyrique Jaye is a passionate spoken word artist who has been captivating audiences since 2018. With a focus on themes of empowerment and freedom, she brings to life the stories of those who often go unheard. Lyrique Jaye has graced both national and local stages, sharing powerful performances that resonate deeply with listeners. As an advocate for social change, she collaborates with fellow activists in the community, using the art of spoken word to inspire and uplift others. Through her writing, she continues to amplify voices and spark conversations that matter.
Mz Jolie is a National poet and the She. E. O. of Jolieizm LLC. She puts on workshops for free teaching poetry to our youth once a month. She is the curator of Express Yaself Open Mic! You can find her in the upcoming play The Fifty Cent Jewelry Line! You can catch her on an open mic near you. Just check out her website at http://www.JolieizmLLC.com for jewelry, apparel, and updates to shows. Mz Jolie is an author. You can find her published periodical on Amazon. You will enjoy her talent whether she recites poetry or sings. She is here today to wow us again.
Brenden Lewis, aka “Unspoken Being”, from Lancaster, Texas, is an artist known for his blend of jazz, storytelling, and thought-provoking lyrics. His theatrical performances invite audiences on a shared journey of sincerity and vulnerability. As a writer, his work appears in the anthology ‘Lifted Voices.’ He has performed for organizations like the National Domestic Violence Association and Dallas College.
In 2024, Brenden served as a Mental Health Panelist for youth and was a Writers Garret Contestant. He is a member of ‘Alternate Roots’ and a recognized painter. Active in the Arlington Downtown Arts District, he collaborates with F6 Art Lounge and local talent, curating community events. Currently, he’s working on a book and short film expected to become bestsellers.
Mz Viki, a proud native Texan residing in Dallas, has made her mark in the poetry and arts scene. She has co-hosted The Black Academy of Arts and Letters’ Poets & Jazz series for seasons 42, 43, and 47. Her powerful voice was featured at Dallas City Hall’s “Bring Back Our Girls” event. Mz Viki was a regular poet at The Balcony Club, participating in Liz Mikel’s Artist Showcase and Verb Kulture’s Beat Street at the Free Man in Deep Ellum. She has also graced the stage of The Black Academy of Arts and Letters (TBAAL), performing alongside songwriter CoCo Brown and actress Irma P. Hall in “In the Words Of A Sistah on Stage.” In addition to her stage performances, she has been featured in multiple events produced by Mike Guinn Entertainment, including a poet’s segment at T.D. Jakes’ Mega-Fest and the Creative Tyme Ministry at Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship Church. Mz Viki is also an accomplished author, with a novel titled “At the Well,” two poetry CDs, and two poetry books: “Black Poems Matter” and the newly released “Thus Said.”
7:00 PM – Kamica King Live – U.S Dept. of State Cultural Ambassador and Texas Commission on the Arts State Touring Roster artist Kamica King is a gifted musical storyteller and a multitalented creative whose performances and appearances include The Kennedy Center’s Arts Across America series, Carnegie Hall, the US Open, abroad in South Africa, and TEDx with her talk entitled the “Power of Song”.
A university-level educator, Kamica holds a Masters in Music/Music Therapy (Texas Women’s University), Music Therapy Degree Equivalency (Southern Methodist University), and a BA in Music- Voice (Western Connecticut State University), where she minored in psych, and broadcast communication for radio, also serving as a radio show host and producer. She is author of “Building Rapport Across Cultures: Musical and Non-musical Techniques”, a chapter published in “Music Therapy in a Multicultural Context: A Handbook for Music Therapy Students and Professionals” co-edited by Melita Belgrave & Seung-A Kim (Jessica Kingsley Publishers 2020).
