Saturday — Full Experience Day
🕘 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM
📍Creative Apprentice Space

11:00 AM

Kitchen Table Writing Workshop 

Powered by Noname Book Club
Presented by: Jasmine Butler

Description:

The kitchen table has been a center point for black working artists, media, and craft for generations. Inspired by Kitchen Table: Women of Color Press and Carrie Mae Weems' Kitchen Table series, we're hosting an intimate writing workshop during Black Writers Weekend Dallas Pop-Up. Together we'll explore the works of Black working writers, parents, and artists to trace a lineage of kitchen table artistry. We'll exchange tales of the unexpected places we've learned to get the work done, and will have ample time for independent writing with thoughtful prompts provided. We'll wrap up with a Kitchen Table Reading of our own, where participants are welcome to share out new or previous work.

12:00 PM

"Lights, Camera, Write: Black Storytellers in Film & TV"

Moderator: Kyerra Weldon
Panelist: Alana Woodson, Kandice Sherril, Amber Hurt, Calvin Walker

Description: From spec scripts to the big screen, Black screenwriters and filmmakers discuss the journey of getting their stories produced. Panelists explore navigating Hollywood, staying true to authentic Black narratives, and the rise of independent Black cinema.

1:30 PM

I Am Creative with Trey Haley & Tamra Simmons

Moderator: Tamika Jamison
Description: What does it truly mean to own your creativity? In this intimate one-on-one conversation, multifaceted creative Trey Haley opens up about the defining moments, hard lessons, and breakthroughs that shaped his creative journey. From navigating doubt to mastering his craft, Trey shares the mindset shifts and intentional choices that helped him build a life rooted in creative purpose. Whether you're just starting out or deep in your own journey, this conversation will leave you inspired to claim your identity as a creative — fully and without apology.

2:00 PM

"Ink & Identity: Writing Blackness Into Every Genre"

Moderator: Lena Pringle
Panelist:  Malik Hooker, Jerome Braggs, Weston Breaux, Renika McQueen
Description: A dynamic conversation with published Black authors across fiction, poetry, and beyond. Panelists discuss how their identities shape their work, finding their voice, getting published, and writing stories that center Black lives unapologetically.

3:00 PM

Self Help / Nonfiction Panel Title: "We Are the Experts: Black Voices in Nonfiction & Community Storytelling"

Moderator: Dallas Jordan
Panelist: , Sherri Jones, HAROLD TROTTER, Alexis Cochran
Black people have always been the authority on our own experiences — and nonfiction is where that truth lives out loud. This panel brings together powerful voices in self-help, memoir, and community storytelling for a raw and real conversation about what it means to write from lived experience, reclaim the narrative, and use nonfiction as a tool for healing, empowerment, and cultural preservation. Come ready to take notes.

4:00 PM

Dear Black Writers Film Screening

Dear Black Writers: The Conversation Continues
Moderator: Kyerra Weldon
5:00 PM Panelist: Tamika Jamison, Mahiri Takai , Black Ceaser/Dallas Poet Laureate,
What happens when Black stories are finally told on our own terms? Join us for a special screening of Dear Black Writers followed by a candid, moderated talkback with some of today's most compelling Black creative voices. Together, the panel will explore the lasting influence of Black storytelling in film and media, reflect on the lived experiences that fuel authentic narratives, and cast a bold vision for what's next. This is more than a screening — it's a conversation abo in ut the power of seeing ourselves, hearing our stories, and understanding why the Black writer's voice is one of the most vital forces in culture today.

5:45 PM

Booksigning

6:00PM Karen “KJ” Johnson Book Signings and kick off mixer