Darlene Williams wears many hats: award-winning businesswoman, adjunct lecturer, bestselling author, youth and literary advocate, mentor, and President of the Black Authors Festival. The annual celebration will mark its third year in Sag Harbor on Saturday, August 2, 2025.
Hosted by Emmy-winning journalist Arrianee LaBeau, this year’s event will honor 10 esteemed figures, including Sunny Hostin, Alton Fitzgerald White, Don Lemon, Kendis Gibson, Marc H. Morial, Harriette Cole, Cheryl Wills, Pamela McBride, Attika J. Torrence, and Amaryllis Green.
“Every year has had a life of its own,” Williams tells So Booking Cool. “I thought there would be a blueprint to follow, but there is no blueprint. Each year it gets bigger and better.” Last year’s honorees included Tamron Hall, Marcus Samuelsson, and Ralph McDaniels. The 2025 theme is The Power of Literacy.
Williams also reflects on challenges she faced behind the scenes: “Last year, I experienced the ultimate betrayal,” she admits. “That was one of the things that hurt most about the Black Authors Festival.”
She continues: “It’s like Nehemiah in the Bible. You have to build while you fight simultaneously. That’s not specific to him, and it’s not specific to me. You pull yourself up by the bootstraps and keep plugging along. But you also know that when you come to that fork in the road, you’re getting closer to success, to your goal, to the apex. And I always feel like there’s never a pinnacle—just a higher level.”
Check out the full, powerful interview to learn more about Williams’ journey, including personal reflections such as family and upbringing; her time as a volleyball coach, her advocacy work with legislators against book banning, and more insights into the festival. For additional details, visit the official website.