South Florida Book Festival, July 13-15 at Broward County's African American Research Library & Cultural Center

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., June 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- "WORD! Celebrating 50 Years of Hip-Hop Culture" is the theme of South Florida Book Festival 2023, July 13-15 at Broward County Library's African American Research Library & Cultural Center (AARLCC), 2650 Sistrunk Boulevard, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33311.

This year's festival explores the cultural explosion generated by the hip-hop phenomenon through literature and the arts. Presenters include New York Times bestselling author Kwame Alexander; Dr. Regina Bradley (Chronicling Stankonia: The Birth of the Hip-Hop South); Rob Kenner (The Marathon Don't Stop: The Life and Times of Nipsey Hussle) and author/activist/TV personality Kevin Powell. Visit South Florida Book Festival 2023 for a full schedule of events. 

"Like blues and jazz, hip-hop represents the creative expression by marginalized groups through spoken word and rhythm," says Dr. Tameka Hobbs, Library Regional Manager of AARLCC. " The festival will explore the elements of the culture, including storytelling, DJing, dance and art during the festival. 

Founded in 2012, the South Florida Book Festival is one of the fastest growing events of its kind, presenting celebrity authors and respected thought leaders in contemporary culture.

Dr. Rocky Bucano, Executive Director of the Universal Hip Hop Museum in New York notes, "From the now legendary declaration that, 'The South Got Something to Say,' regional hip-hop from South Florida has been incredibly influential. Their lyrical storytelling style continues in the tradition of the African griot, telling not only their story, and also the stories of others. And with a legacy descended from the historic libraries of Timbuktu, AARCC preserves these stories from our culture for future generations to come."

The South Florida Book Festival 2023 is presented by Visit Lauderdale and sponsored by Universal Hip Hop Museum, Museum of Graffiti, Bank of America, Holman Honda and Cox Media Group. Funding was provided through a grant from Florida Humanities with funds from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this program do not necessarily represent those of Florida Humanities or the National Endowment for the Humanities.

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SOURCE Broward County Libraries