Tulisoma: South Dallas Book Fair & Arts Festival set for Aug. 28-29

Authors, poets and artists will be featured at the 13th Annual Tulisoma South Dallas Book Fair and Arts Festival to be held Aug. 28-29 in Fair Park. The free festival promotes literacy and highlights businesses and arts in south Dallas.

The festival kicks off at 10 a.m. Friday Aug. 28 with the 2015 Heart and Soul Tour of South Dallas historical sites and landmarks. Call (972) 803-4434 to register for the tour, which will depart from the African American Museum in Fair Park.

Saturday Aug. 29, author presentations, writing and art workshops, open mic poetry, book signings, children’s activities, storytelling, panel discussions and performances will be featured at the African-American Museum.

From 8 to 10 a.m. Saturday Aug. 29, Cornerstone Baptist Church A Taste of Gospel will showcase some of South Dallas’ finest gospel music voices including, Seasoned Saints Community Choir of Dallas, Cornerstone Baptist Church Combined Choir and Tabernacle Choir of Joy Tabernacle A.M.E. Words of inspiration will be delivered by Reverend Dr. Michael W. Waters of Joy Tabernacle.

This year’s featured presenters are:

Peter Bailey – Journalist, author, lecturer and a founding member of the Organization of Afro-American Unity organized in 1964 by Malcolm X. A former editor or Ebony magazine, he is the author of Witnessing Brother Malcolm Z, the Master Teacher: A Memoir; Harlem: Precious Memories, Great Expectations, and co-author of Revelations: the Autobiography of Alvin Ailey.

S. Pearl Sharp – Published work includes the non-fiction Black Women For Beginners (For Beginners LLC), Uncertain Rituals, an audio book of short fiction, the poetry w/jazz CDs On The Sharp Side and Higher Ground and four volumes of poetry including Typing In The Dark (Harlem River Press). Her essays and commentaries were broadcast on NPR and she’s a segment producer with KPFK-FM Pacifica Radio, Los Angeles. An award-winning independent filmmaker her work includes The Healing Passage/ Voices From The Water, which aired on The Documentary Channel, Life Is A Saxophone, on poet Kamau Daáood, the semi-animated short Picking Tribes and numerous cultural arts documentaries for the City of Los Angeles’ CH 35. She enjoyed an acting career, starring in the TV movies Hollow Image (ABC) and Minstrel Man (CBS) and was a top commercial spokesperson. A native of Cleveland, OH, living in Los Angeles, S. Pearl facilitates workshops connecting language and wellness and offers creativity coaching through The Gate Is Open.

Marsha Jones – A Dallas resident, she is a women’s rights activist and co-founder and Executive Director of The Afiya Center. She is a national grassroots organizer, community mobilizer, professional speaker, group facilitator, and health educator. Her life commitment is to transform black women’s and girls’ concept of their reproductive health and freedom. She’s pledged to the development of leadership and the engagement of activism among marginalized black women challenging harmful systemic and political constructs while advancing the economic, health, and safety of women and girls.
For a list of tour sites, author information and other festival details visit www.tulisoma.com