Black Voices, Bright Futures

Local Author Panel & Book Fair

Come learn more about Black authors in our area, with the opportunity to both buy new books and get them signed!

Black Voices, Bright Futures highlights the powerful work of four DMV-based Black authors, each bringing their unique perspectives and creative voices to our community.

The program will begin with an engaging author panel, moderated by local scholar and professor Caitlyn Socrates, where participants will hear directly from the featured authors as they discuss their creative practices, cultural influences, and how their identity and community shapes their work. The panel will be followed by a book fair, supported by independent book store Mahogany Books, where participants will have the opportunity to not only support these authors, but to engage in deeper dialogues surrounding their work and stories.

This event is a wonderful opportunity to support local literature and celebrate Black authors in our community.

Registration is not required. If you have questions, please call 301-645-1395 or email westref@ccplonline.org.

About the Moderator and Authors:

Caitlyn Socrates, moderator, is a professor of English at the College of Southern Maryland. Her scholarship focuses on African American literature and Black food studies, which she is currently working to combine in the writing of a memoir surrounding her ancestry and her relationship to food as a Black woman. She lives in Southern Maryland, to which she is a native, with her family, which includes two dogs named Lucy and Eleanor Rigby. You can find out more at her website.

Brianna Peppins is a Prince George's County native and a Spelman College alumna who incorporates both of these unique locales into her writing. Her novels include the young adult Briarcliff Prep series and the standalone As Long As We're Together. She has a BA in psychology and is passionate about social justice issues (i.e. Intimate Partner Violence, Racial Injustice, Mental health), spending time with loved ones, yoga, baking, embroidery, and movies. You can find out more at her website.

christopher stewart is an award-winning school librarian who serves to end poverty and injustice throughout the world. He is the author of the children's series Becoming Ari, including "The Page Turner Project", "Feeding Friends", "Shelter Pet Block Party", and "Kicks For a Cause". These books spread the message of embodying peace and kindness! He is on faculty at Syracuse iSchool and St. John’s University, Library and Information Science Programs. He lives in Washington, DC, and London, UK, with his wife and partner and their three awesome children.

Dr. Ravynn K. Stringfield is a former academic and young adult author originally from Suffolk, Virginia. Her titles include Love Requires Chocolate (2024) and the recent digital epistolary novel, Love in 280 Characters or Less (2025). Ravynn holds a PhD in American Studies from William & Mary and her creative nonfiction has appeared in publications such as Shondaland, ZORA, and Catapult Magazine. She can often be found haunting coffee shops in search of the perfect hazelnut latte, knee deep in art supplies, or telling anyone who will listen about her Lois Lane obsession. You can find out more at her website.

Charlene Thomas is a Montgomery County native who has been writing since childhood. When she was sixteen, she won the National Novel Silver Award from Scholastic Books and has been writing books for young adults ever since. She is the author of the novels Seton Girls, Streetlight People, and It's You Every Time. She holds degrees from North Carolina State University and Emory University, and certificates from Cornell University and The University of Cambridge. You can find out more at her website.

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