National Black Arts Festival
The National Black Arts Festival was founded in 1987 after the Fulton County Arts Council (in Atlanta, Georgia) commissioned a study to explore the feasibility of creating a festival dedicated to celebrating the work of artists of African descent. The study provided reasons why the Atlanta community was the right place for such a festival. With Fulton County government as the major sponsor, joined by additional corporate and foundation sponsors, the Festival's first biannual summer festival was held in 1988.
Since the festival started, many emerging and renowned artists have taken part. Collectors have the Artists’ Market for an opportunity to buy from some of the best artists in the country; and film fans can attend screenings of known and unknown work. Concert halls have performances of jazz, gospel and other music; actors have taken part in the Festival, and writers who of the African Diaspora in literature have taken part. Amongst participants have been Maya Angelou, Charles Dutton, Wynton Marsalis, Amiri Baraka, Avery Brooks, Nancy Wilson, Sweet Honey in the Rock, Spike Lee, Ousmane Sembène, Pearl Cleage, Kenny Leon, Carrie Mae Weems, Radcliffe Bailey, Sonia Sanchez and many other artists from the US and around the world.
As the festival firmly established itself presenting the art and culture of the African Diaspora, it expanded to year-round educational and humanities as well as programming and hosting the Festival every year. The Festival has aimed at continuing and strengthening its ties with local, national and international partners, because the Festival's success has been aided by the collaborations of local cultural institutions.
The festival's artistic leadership, which has included: Avery Brooks, Dwight Andrews and Stephanie Hughley has allowed the reach of the Festival to surpass five million people since the first year.