Lit City Foundation NYC Inc.
More Than a Book Club
Who We Are
Built from within the community
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Lit City Foundation NYC Inc. is a nonprofit organization founded in 2025 by Paulette Bellins, Doly Vasquez, and Tyler Price, three community members who recognized a gap in culturally rooted creative programming for Black and African diaspora communities. Our founders and volunteers are themselves members of the African diaspora. We are not programming for our community from the outside. We are the community, building from within.
From the beginning our goal has been larger than programming. We believe that strong, authentic community ties within the African diaspora are essential to addressing systemic inequalities and healing the divides between Afrodiasporic cultures created by colonization, the transatlantic slave trade, and the intentional fragmentation engineered by white supremacy. Literature, wellness, and the arts are our entry points. Reconnection and collective power are our destination.
Community members
engaged in year one
600+
19+
Events hosted across the city
100%
Black-owned venues and vendors
Our values in action
Economic power is cultural power
Every Lit City event is hosted at a Black-owned business, facilitated by paid Black artists and practitioners, and supported by Black vendors. Where money flows, power follows. This is not incidental. It is policy.
Community builds our programming
We accept pitches directly from community members and work alongside them to develop and execute events they find meaningful. We are forming community committees to give members a formal voice in the future of Lit City.
Stories are tools of liberation
We celebrate books and art by Black authors with a particular commitment to new and self-published voices that traditional publishing overlooks. When people see themselves in the stories being celebrated, that is an act of repair.
Healing is collective
We create spaces where people from across the diaspora.
Caribbean, African, African American, and beyond find common ground through shared culture, storytelling, and presence.
Our Programs
What we do
Book Discussions
Monthly gatherings around books by Black authors, both established and emerging. Our discussions are more than literary conversations. They are spaces for connection, reflection, and community.
Open Mics and Storytelling Nights
A recurring stage for poets, writers, musicians, and storytellers from across the African diaspora, including our Underground Open Mic Night series at Black-owned venues.
Creative Showcases
Events celebrating Black creatives across disciplines, from manga and comic artists to visual arts and performance. Past showcases include our Night at the Manga Museum series.
Author Events and Fireside Chats
Intimate conversations and book launch events connecting readers directly with Black authors, including nationally celebrated voices and first-time authors sharing their work for the first time.
Community Workshops
Free workshops in creative writing, visual arts, music, and performance at Black-owned venues, facilitated by paid Black artists and educators. Coming Soon!
Wellness and Healing Gatherings
Events centered on rest, reflection, and connection with Black wellness practitioners. Collective healing is inseparable from collective power. Coming Soon!
Self-Published and Independent Black Authors Showcase
A dedicated platform for writers outside of traditional publishing, with readings, book sales, direct community connections, and a community book giveaway prioritizing children and families in underserved neighborhoods. Coming Soon!
Education and Reentry Programming
In development, bringing education, vital resources, and community connection to currently and formerly incarcerated individuals using culture and storytelling as the vehicle to reach people at the moments they need it most. Coming Soon!
Get Involved
There are many ways to be part of this
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All programming is free or low cost and held at Black-owned venues. Come as you are.
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Have a program or event idea? We actively develop and execute programming pitched by community members.
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We are forming community-led committees for programming, partnerships, and engagement. Your voice belongs here.
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We seek partnerships with Black-owned businesses, cultural organizations, wellness practitioners, educators, and community groups.
Support the Work
Our existing programming is sustained by individual donations and our founding team. Your contribution keeps it going while we build what comes next. Every dollar circulates within Black communities.