Omar Tyree is an author, publisher, lecturer and performance poet who completed his undergraduate studies at Howard University in Washington, D.C, with honors in print journalism. He was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he graduated from the city's most prestigious Central High School in 1987. He is presently thirtyone-years old and lives in Charlotte, NC with his wife, Karintha and two sons Ameer and Canoy. After high school graduation, Tyree became one of thirty fortunate minority students to enroll at the University of Pittsburgh under a challenge grant scholarship program. He was later awarded the sum of $3,400 toward his school tuition after being recognized by the Phi Eta Sigma Freshman Honor Society for academic excellence in math and science studies. Read More>>>>>>>>>>>

Sophia Simmons Live at Expo 2009 Liacouras Center, Temple University

Sophia Simmons is a native of Pasadena, California now living in the Mohave Desert of Arizona. She has studied creative writing, journalism, and telecommunications, but has found her heart to lie in real to life drama, romance, and poetry. In addition to marketing and promoting her debut novel, “Love Again”, she is currently working on book two in her “Reality Love Series” and also “Caressing the Wind”, which is a tender collection of poetry focusing on love, passion, heartbreak, and healing. For over ten years Sophia remained in a marriage that began to guide her life down a path of destruction and despair. Instead of being beaten down by those unfortunate years and sometimes unbearable circumstances, she strives to keep her eyes off of her own struggles and continues to pour herself into her writing and those in need around her. In her experience she has participated and volunteered in teen ministries, groups for co-dependency, in shelters, missions, and is currently volunteering as a victims rights advocate. All fueling her desire to write for those who have suffered abuse. Read More>>>>>>>>>>>

Monda Raquel Webb Live at Expo 2009 Liacouras Center, Temple University

My book - 7:33 am asks the question: Why does man-sharing stay in Vogue?  I blend prose and poetry in the novel which lends to its dramatic effect. The overall theme is to "Love Yourself and Others Will Follow" . The new cd soundtrack features Marcus Johnson, Maysa, Temika Moore and more fabulous artists, including three spoken word pieces by:  moi!   My Poetry book, A Peek Into My Soul Redux, takes an up close and personal look at life, the good, the bad & the ugly.     Author and Poet Monda Raquel Webb lives in Rockville, Maryland. She works as a freelance consultant, sells real estate, and has been a featured Realtor® on several episodes of HGTV’s “Get it Sold”.  She also performs her poetry at select venues in the Washington Metropolitan area. Monda is currently working on 7:33 am the Movie, an independent full-length feature film adapted from the novel by director Aimee Dixon - to be released in spring 2011.

Dawn MacCoy Live at Expo 2009 Liacouras Center, Temple University

Author, motivational speaker, and leadership consultant Dawn McCoy served as the youngest African American elected to the Sacramento City Unified School Board, one of the nation’s fifty largest school systems. Born in Philadelphia and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, Dawn is president and CEO of Flourish Leadership Group, a leadership communications firm that empowers non-profit executives, public servants, and youth leaders to become extraordinary leaders. Dawn’s groundbreaking work has been published in dailies and publications nationwide and her book Leadership Building Blocks: An Insider’s Guide to Success about effective leadership principles will be released in November 2009. Dawn holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Howard University and a master’s degree in public policy (MPP) from the Georgetown University Public Policy Institute where she was a Bryce Harlow Scholar. Read More >>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Art Sanctuary Live at Expo 2009 Liacouras Center, Temple University

Art Sanctuary brings the inspiration, refreshment, and hope of great arts.  We do it at little or no cost, and we regularly highlight such legends as this year’s Lifetime Achievement Awardee, poet Nikki Giovanni, and Reading in Concert’s featured playwright, Charles Fuller.  This year, for the first time, with thanks to our donors, the McLean Contributionship, Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Deliquency as recommended by State Senator Anthony Williams and Philadelphia’s Commerce Department, Art Sanctuary will renovate and then occupy our own  headquarters, at 16th and Bainbridge Streets. In addition, we will continue to present large-scale performances at our home venue,the National Historical Landmark Church of the Advocate in North Philadelphia.  Please help our board and staff pull it off—and continue the year’s signature programming—with a donation of $25, $50, or $100. Make a donation, take out or renew a membership, and come uptown for the kind of spiritual nourishment you get from excellence in the arts; in the community; for real. Read More>>>>>>>>>>>

Luzia Moraes - Salvador, Brazil Live at Expo 2009 Liacouras Center, Temple University

Hotep (aka The One Man Brand) Live at Expo 2009 Liacouras Center, Temple University

Author, filmmaker and educator, Hotep (aka The One Man Brand) is the founder of HustleUniversity.Org. He is a self-made entertainment media mogul widely known for his out-the-box thinking, guerilla marketing tactics, branding expertise and his unique “common sense” approach to teaching leadership, entrepreneurship and practical business best practices. His motto is, “Don’t wait for opportunity, CREATE IT”! Hotep has been recognized by Congress and has won numerous awards for his revolutionary work. Additionally, he has been featured in the Atlanta Journal Constitution, The Washington Post, The Atlanta Voice, XXL, Grip Magazine, The Progress Report, The Champion, RollingOut Magazine, GoodNews Magazine, PBS, Comcast Cable and many other print, TV and Radio stations.

Irv Childress is a proud husband, father, author, mentor, and teacher. Irv has always wanted to be a writer.  It has been a life long dream to reach out to families and help them in their efforts to achieve balance and structure in the home.   Although his life didn’t follow the exact path he had planned, writing has become a passion that has resulted in three books over the past four years (Memoirs Of A Broken Family, Distracted, and I Wish My Dad Told Me That; A Progressive Dating Guide For Young Women).  Each book is unique, but always celebrating the family unit, and providing useful information to help guide you through life. Irv has used his personal experiences to bring to life the challenges and triumphs of becoming or remaining a solid family.  Irv’s books are based upon family planning whether a person finds themselves in the dating stage or living the married life.   The second child of five children, this New Jersey native has been advising people on family matters for decades. Irv is a true family man.  If you were to question his peers on the kind of man he is, they would tell you that he is fun-loving, wise beyond his years and supportive. When you read the works of Irv Childress, be prepared to laugh, cry, and gain insight to what a family should strive to be.

Asadah Kirkland Live at Expo 2009 Liacouras Center, Temple University

Mother of one child and a mother to many, Asadah is no stranger to raising children.  Asadah taught school for over fifteen years, provided youth development and parenting workshops for ten years and is currently an administrator of an afterschool program in Harlem, NY Being an educator, Asadah has had to learn to handle problems with wisdom and not violence.  Her sincere care for the welfare and outcome of the lives of her students can be seen through her actions and heard from the comments of the people she serves. Beat Black Kids is Asadah’s first published book and her way of getting her viewpoint and solutions out to the entire world.  While she has welcomed many thanks for creating this work, Asadah is also courageous and certain enough to handle the many challenges that come from those who feel beating Black kids as a normal practice.

David Rivera Live at Expo 2009 Liacouras Center, Temple University

David Rivera Jr., has been writing short stories for his own entertainment since high school.  He’s inspired by the writings of contemporary black male writers. His first book, Harlem's Dragon, has been met with great enthusiasm by other writers – most notably by Zane, as well as literary critics.  As a man of color, David has taken on the task of showing African American men in a more positive light in his writing. He believes that every Black Man has the responsibility of contributing something of worth to his community.  He holds a Bachelors degree in Sociology and a Masters of Science degree in Public Administration.

Leslie Thompson Live at Expo 2009 Liacouras Center, Temple University

Leslie Thompson is a romantic fiction author who has released two historical romances, A Love So Deep and Free My Heart, and a contemporary romance, Love’s Symphony.  Leslie is also sole proprietor of Freedom of Love Press, an independent publishing company specializing in African American romantic fiction.

Kamal Sanders Live at Expo 2009 Liacouras Center, Temple University

Kamal shares his experiences and lessons on a variety of topics including racism, responsibility, health, education and money. He shares in simple straight forward language his struggles and his triumphs. He offers brief summaries of books that have aided and inspired him as well as many quotes from loving parents. He is obviously a young man who is committed to assisting other youth who may not have had as much support and guidance as he. With this heart felt effort to bless other young men, he adds to his own blessings. Read More>>>>>>>>>>>

Kontrena Clark Live at Expo 2009 Liacouras Center, Temple University

Author Kontrena Clark is the granddaughter of the legendary Jr. Walker & The All Stars, famous for the Motown Hit "Shotgun".  She has always had a passion for singing and dancing.  She is currently a member of Bethany Baptist Church in Lindenwold, New Jersey.  As a single parent of one, she has continued to focus on God and His plan for her life, hence the The Business Plan for the Believer.  She is also determined to help others experience victory, healing, and deliverance after meeting and possibly falling in love with a "wolf in sheep's clothing", hence The Day I Met a Wolf! ART BY KONTRENA CLARK

Michael & Lizzette Carter Live at Expo 2009 Liacouras Center, Temple University

Born and raised in New York, Lizzette Grayson Carter left the Big Apple to attend Virginia Union University in Richmond, Virginia. There, she majored in English Education and Spanish. After college, she fell in love and married a fellow student and started working for a billion dollar company. It was her experience in the corporate workforce and reading several books by an established contemporary black author that inspired her to write The Color Line. Lizzette currently resides in Mathews County, Virginia, with her husband, Michael and daughter, Brienna. She devotes her time to God, her family and her love of writing.  She is currently working on a sequel to The Color Line and continuing her education.

Nathaniel Gadsden Live at Expo 2009 Liacouras Center, Temple University

Life Skills Coach, Poet, Poet Therapist, Minister, and Motivational Speaker. While Nathaniel Gadsden is accomplished in many areas, his foundation remains spiritual and his door is always open. With a wealth of knowledge and experience to call his own, Nate is ever prepared to share his wealth while remaining a perpetual student of life. Nate's educational background includes degrees in Social Studies, Management, Human Relations, and Bible Studies. He also has an extensive background in Counseling and Clinical Pastoral Education. Read More>>>>>>>>>>>

Wahida Clark Live at Expo 2009 Liacouras Center, Temple University

Wahida Clark is a New York Times bestselling author and fast becoming the standard bearer for authors of urban fiction. Her story began in Trenton, New Jersey, and reached its dramatic peak when she wrote a best seller behind the bars of a federal prison in Lexington, Kentucky. After serving a nine year prison sentence, Wahida was released on June 13, 2007, from the federal prison camp in Alderson, West Virginia. Wahida Clark is now the vice president of the nonprofit organization based out of East Orange, New Jersey, Prodigal Sons and Daughters Redirection Services, a re-entry program for convicts and ex-convicts. The organization also provides support groups and mentors for at-risk youth, troubled men and women from all social back grounds, particularly those released from federal, state and county correctional facilities.

Shannon Bellamy Live at Expo 2009 Liacouras Center, Temple University

Who Is SHANNON BELLAMY? Having gone through and triumphed over many of life’s ordeals Shannon Bellamy has unequivocally established herself as a true Lady of Substance. She is a profound combination of grace and intellect. She has maintained her traditional core values and not allowed her past hurt, pain and setbacks to change the dynamics of who she is as a person. A series of trials and tribulations has uniquely prepared Shannon Bellamy to tackle and subsequently overcome some of life's most insurmountable odds. She's had to endure many childhood and teenage years of adversities, ranging from the untimely death of her father at a tender age to various encounters of sexual and emotional abuse at the hand of trusted individuals. These experiences of victimization continued on into her adult years. However, Shannon’s strong faith in God coupled with her, self inspired tenacity; as well her reliance on the guidance and encouragement of countless earth angles, has helped her learn to rescue herself from the dungeons of despair to her now well traveled road to glorious redemption. Read More>>>>>>>>>>>

Frankie Nicole Live at Expo 2009 Liacouras Center, Temple University

Nicole Balaam Live at Expo 2009 Liacouras Center, Temple University

Nicole Balaam is an Award-winning entrepreneur and author. As the author of The Fortitude Factor: Stop Dreaming and Start Succeeding , Nicole emits that if you want to put your dreams into action and discover that the impossible is possible, then this book is your blueprint for success. The Fortitude Factor is about living your personal or entrepreneurial dreams. You must believe that you can handle the mental and emotional strength in facing difficulty, adversity, danger, or temptation courageously. You must use adversity and obstacles to help you dig deep into your core strength to get past difficult times. This ability will allow you to conquer your fears and walk down your path of greatness.  I am here to tell you to go against the grain and find your fortitude factor. We all have a moment when fear takes over us but we still have to take a reality check and get over our concerns. Explore with me life's ups and downs and always remember that what you need to succeed is already inside of you. Now is the time to tap into your fortitude factor. Read More>>>>>>>>>>>

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Philadelphia International ART EXPO
November 13, 14 & 15, 2009
Liacouras Center - Temple University
1776 N. Broad Street
Philadelphia, PA 19121