A Special WLS African-American Literary Tea

The eleventh annual African-American Writers & Readers Literary Tea was an event even more special than usual this year. It's always the highlight of Martin Luther King's birthday celebration in Westchester County, but it held special significance this year since it was held the day before the inauguration of Barack Obama as President of the United States.

Speakers included event Chair Toni Cox Burns, Honorary Chair Cherl Brannan, President & CEO of Sister to Sister International, and Host Melvin Burruss, President of the African-American Men of Westchester. Terry Kirchner, the newly-appointed Director of the Westchester Library System, said a few words after the program, which was presented in association with the Westchester County Chapter of The Links, Inc.

Appearing were Asha Bandele, poet and memorist who read from Something Like Beautiful, Tonya Bolden, who read from MLK Journey of a King, and popular novelist Kimberla Lawson Roby, author of The Best of Everything.

The Tea was the first event of a year-long celebration of the Westchester Library System's fiftieth anniversary. Funds raised are used to support African-American collections at the system's 38 member libraries.

Dave Donelson, author of Heart of Diamonds a romantic thriller about blood diamonds in the Congo