2026 Presenters

CONFERENCE DATES: March 11-14, 2026

Key Note Speakers

Ameer Baraka

Deon L. Butler

Altheria Caldera, PhD
Danielle “Nell” Thompson, PhD & T’Shaka Bailey
Julie Washington, PhD

Kareem Weaver

Black & Dyslexic Podcast Co-Host Winifred Winston and LeDerick Horne

UNMUTED: Black Men, Dyslexia & the Power of Naming the Truth

Documentary: Left Behind

Screening: Thursday, March 12, 2026 | 6:30 PM
Norfolk State University Theatre

Free and open to all registered conference attendees.

LIFT EVERY VOICE: PARENT DAY - Saturday, March 14th

A dedicated, full-day experience designed exclusively for parents of children who struggle with reading, writing, language, and/or dyslexia.

Parent Day is free and open to all registered conference attendees, and free to parents who register for the Lift Every Voice Parent Day exclusively.

Parents will receive:

  • Hands-on literacy tools

  • Advocacy and navigation training

  • Dyslexia awareness and structured literacy supports

  • BLPN community-building sessions

  • Strategies to empower their child’s literacy journey

Parent Day is rooted in empowering families, elevating parent voice, and building a united literacy movement across the country.

Breakout Sessions - Presenters

LaNorris Alexander

Hope From the Abyss



Katrina Allen-White

Community Literacy Tutors: Impacting Literacy One Kitchen Table at a Time

Nadiyah Ali 

Building Language Fluency Through Culturally Responsive Literacy Instruction

Nicole Austin

More Than Storytime: Addressing the Confidence Gap in Black Family Literacy Engagement

Kari Baker & Melissa Edwards

From Error to Insight: Decoding the Reasons Behind Spelling Mistakes

Tasean Baldwin

Honoring Cultural Wealth: Black Family Literacy Practices and School Partnerships

Thelma Ramsey Bryant & Janet Pedrazzi

From Fidelity to Fluency: Coaching Secondary Teacher Forward

Kellie Bynum-Lathan & Rebecca Holloway

Black Girls, Books, and Belonging-Community Book Club Making an Impact

Altheria Caldera & Elisabeth Ivy

Using Picture Books to Teach Critical Literacy in the Elementary Classroom

Qiana Anngel Daniels

Power in the Pages: Parents as Literacy Builders

Zacheriah Davis

Dangerous Learning: Literacy, Truth, and Liberation through Curriculum

Diane Dragan & Caroline Durham

The IEP: If You Fix It, I Can’t Fight It

Jason Epting

The Power of Literacy Leadership: Activate Your Avatar

Tiffeni Fontno & Ryan LaBarrie

Mapping Black Literacy for Collective Power

Cyrene Gibson-Crooms & Graziela Lobato-Creekmur

Diaspora & Dialect: A Converging Conversation for Educators of English

Jewel Hale, Jr. & Jaeidah Flowers

Overcoming Undiagnosed Dyslexia: An African American Male Journey in Higher Education

Monique Harris & Re’Shaun Blake

Research-Practice Partnerships: Building Black Brilliance from the Ground Up

Katie Hawley

Illiteracy & Black Community: A Public Health Issue with a Proven Solution

Jennifer Howard

Using Black Historical Picture Books to Build Language

Vanessa Howard

Breaking the Silence: Dyslexia and Equity in Black Communities

Charrai Hunter

Reflective Coaching & Fluency Feedback A Bridge between Complex Text and Comprehension

David Hurford & Alex Fender

How Legislation and Case Law Shape Delivery of Services to Struggling Readers

Demetrius Lancaster

Technology + Touch: Human-Centered Literacy Innovation in Black Communities

Elizabeth Landry, Katrina Evans & Tanji Wyatt

Sounds to Structure: Morphology in Spelling for Culturally and Linguistically Responsive Classrooms

Maria Lawson-Davenport & Jonita Shabazz

Building Literacy from the Ground Up: Community-Based Training for Kindergarten Readiness

Carla Powell Lewis

Words That Liberate: Using Intentional Literacy Strategies to Elevate Black Learners

Tanji Reed Marshall

Tag, We’re IT! Reclaiming Representational Balance in Literacy Materials

Jerome Mayoral, Karin Hodges & Detra Watson

Misdiagnosed and Miseducated: The Literacy Crisis in SEL

Jacinta McCants & Christine Kellum

Boots on the Ground: Literacy Implementation Action Labs for Black Brilliance

Joy McIntosh-Ragland & Rasheeda Polk

Parent Workshop on Early Reading Skills

Keshia Megie-Thompson & Michaela R. Ozier

Boots on the (Play)ground: Literacy Liberation in Early Childhood Spaces

Amy Murdoch, Keshia Megie-Thompson & Michaela Ozier

The Power of Early Intervention, Implementing the Science of Reading in Preschool

Debbie Meyer

Parent Teacher Conferences & IEP Meetings: Role Playing

Tonya Obamoh

From Seeds to Harvest: Coaching for Black Literacy Growth!

Tamia Peterson

Centering Black Brilliance in the Science of Reading

Zedeka Poindexter

From Analysis to Applause: How Spoken Word Builds Literacy

La’Brea Pringle

J.U.M.P. Into Lit: A Family Workshop for Joyful, Intentional Reading

Jasmine Rogers & Chantel Thompson

Linguistic Justice In Action: Black Language in Structured Literacy Classrooms

Jerry Samuels

Clearing the Chasm: Addressing Dyslexia and Learning Differences in Black Learners Through Equity, Data, and Intervention

Jeanne Schopf

Words that Stick: Explicit Vocabulary Instruction with AI

Monique Smith

Culturally Responsive Instructional Leadership for Equitable Literacy Outcomes

TeQuila Stamps, Tandalaya White, Amonaquenette Parker & Tamar Ovedje

Clock That Tea: Culturally Responsive Literacy as a Path to Community Wellness

Tina Starks

Efficacy and Joy in Literacy for Black Brilliance

Shannon Stocks

Beyond the Labels: Exploring How Ecomaps Connect Literacy, Health, and Community

Catina Taylor

When Parents Lead: Reclaiming Literacy Beyond the Classroom

Quinn Terry

Families, Phonics, and Freedom: Reimagining Literacy as Liberation and Legacy

Yunekia Thornton

Bridging the Gap Between Parents and Educators: A Practical Parent-Powered Approach to Reading Success

Sakendra Turner

Rooted in Relevance: Cross-Curricular Literacy That Reflects & Respects Black Voices

Cedric Washington

Culture = Intelligence = Behavior: Engaging Students through Cultural Relevance in Literacy

Detra Watson

Healing-Centered Literacy: Reclaiming Black Children and Families’ Stories and Support

Sylvester White

Reclaiming Literacy Through Culturally Responsive, Historically-Rooted Teaching

Lisa Wilson & Samantha Thompson

Language as Identity: Supporting Early Literacy Through Black English and Black Languages



Kheshana Woods

Young, Black and Gifted: Looking Back to Catapult Forward