BLIND PERSISTENCE: The History of the Before Columbus Foundation
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Before Columbus Foundation celebrates its 50th anniversary with founder Ishamel Reed and chairman Justin Desmangles at the Flor y Canto Literary Festival, Sunday, June 14, at 1PM at Acción Latina (2958 24th St. San Francisco, CA 94110) discussing their most recent book BLIND PERSISTENCE: The History of the Before Columbus Foundation.
BLIND PERSISTENCE is the Before Columbus story as told by a host of leading American poets, novelists, public intellectuals. Contributors include Wajahat Ali, Carolyn Forché, Joy Harjo, Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Maxine Hong Kingston, Laila Lalami, Nancy Mercado, Margaret Porter Troupe, Shawn Wong and Jimmy Santiago Baca.
Ishmael Reed has authored fifty works of fiction, poetry, non-fiction, plays and librettos, and edited numerous anthologies. He has received prizes in every category. The fourth novel in his “Terribles” series, The Terrible Fives, is forthcoming from Baraka Books in 2026. Other recent works include Why the Black Hole Sings the Blues (2022).
Justin Desmangles is Chairman of the Before Columbus Foundation, administrator of the American Book Award, and producer at the African-American Center of the San Francisco Public Library. His writing has been published in Amerarcana, Black Renaissance Noire, Drumvoices, Konch, Musiqology, Paris Lit Up, SFMOMA Open Space, and Tar Baby.
BLIND PERSISTENCE is the Before Columbus story as told by a host of leading American poets, novelists, public intellectuals. Contributors include Wajahat Ali, Carolyn Forché, Joy Harjo, Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Maxine Hong Kingston, Laila Lalami, Nancy Mercado, Margaret Porter Troupe, Shawn Wong and Jimmy Santiago Baca.
Ishmael Reed has authored fifty works of fiction, poetry, non-fiction, plays and librettos, and edited numerous anthologies. He has received prizes in every category. The fourth novel in his “Terribles” series, The Terrible Fives, is forthcoming from Baraka Books in 2026. Other recent works include Why the Black Hole Sings the Blues (2022).
Justin Desmangles is Chairman of the Before Columbus Foundation, administrator of the American Book Award, and producer at the African-American Center of the San Francisco Public Library. His writing has been published in Amerarcana, Black Renaissance Noire, Drumvoices, Konch, Musiqology, Paris Lit Up, SFMOMA Open Space, and Tar Baby.
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Where is it happening?
2958 24th St, San Francisco, CA 94110-4132, United States
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
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Host or PublisherBefore Columbus Foundation
