Black nerds aka Blerds, this event is for you. Blerd City Con is coming to Brooklyn, New York, July 13 – July 15. The event is a celebration of the black community and will feature art, science, film, literature, and technology.
“I want the audience to experience Horror, Science Fiction, and Fantasy by the talents of leading writers as well as filmmakers, coders and creators of the African Diaspora who are serving the community of black and Nerdy,” said founder Clairesa Clay.
Blerd City is a conference dedicated to showcasing the multidimensional complexity of black nerdiness through all spectrums of creativity, invention, and innovation and this is its second year in action. You can expect panels, workshops, film screenings, Afrofuturism, special guests, and presentations. In addition, there will be a marketplace for gaming and comic books open to all ages.
A partial list of current speakers include:
- Clayton Banks, the co-Founder and CEO Of Silicon Harlem, established and produces the only comprehensive technology conference in Harlem, the Silicon Harlem tech conference.
- Keith Perrin, CEO and General Manager of FUBU Radio, is a founding member of the worldwide brand Fubu The Collection, who oversees the administrative and business functions of the radio station.
- Andrea Hairston, science fiction and fantasy playwright and novelist. She is the winner of the Carl Brandon Parallax Award for her first novel and short-listed for the Philip K. Dick Award and the James Tiptree Jr. Award.
- Sheree Renée Thomas, award-winning fiction writer, editor, and poet, and author of Dark Matter: A Century of Speculative Fiction from the African Diaspora and Dark Matter: Reading the Bones.
- Tim Fielder, graphic artist, cartoonist, and animator, best known for Afrofuturism: The Next Generation.
- Warrington Hudlin, veteran producer of film, television, and online media
- Regine Sawyer, owner, and writer at Lockett Down Production a press comic book company. Also the founder of the Women in Comics Collective International.
The overall mission for the conference is to provide the black community with a tangible connection to the talented and cutting-edge professionals working within the arts and sciences, providing room for inspiration, networking, and education.
For more information, click here.