Funded in part by the National Endowment for the Arts, Voices at the Center of American Literature will feature readings and conversations by and with BIPOC and LGBTQ+ authors to discuss visibility, community, and navigating multiple identities, plus the “own voice” and personal narrative. Award-winning poets Afaa M. Weaver and Douglas Manuel will speak on these topics in a conversation moderated by Los Angeles Poet Laureate Lynne Thompson, joined by jazz musician Dr. Ray Briggs of the Pasadena Conservatory of Music. This event will also be paired with a brand new photography exhibition, featuring photographs by Alfred Haymond of the 2020 George Floyd/#BlackLivesMatter protests around Pasadena.