Published: May 29, 2023 by Eori Tokunaga

Please join the SJSU iSchool as we celebrate Juneteenth in collaboration with Professional Storyteller Binnie Tate Wilkin and Poet Laureate of Clark County, Nevada (2017 – 2019) Vogue M. Robinson. The event will not only feature stories and poems by our keynote speakers but will also include student panelists as part of the conversation. 

Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of African American freedom. As a time for reflection, rejoicing and healing, we continue to make space for and uplift Black educators, scholars, and artists in our communities all year long. (source: https://www.juneteenth.com/) 

​Juneteenth Celebrates Freedom!

Join us on Tuesday, June 20, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Pacific Time, for this free online symposium. 

Register here for this event. 

Meet Our Keynote Speakers!

Binnie Tate Wilkin: Professional Storyteller

Binnie Tate Wilkin, writer, consultant and professional storyteller resides in Las Vegas, Nevada. In 2022, she provided a JUNETEENTH, an online storytelling symposium for SJSU School of Information. She served as a consultant for Godfrey’s Associates, lectured at the California Library Association annual meeting, served on a professional panel regarding library services in cultural communities and presented storytelling programs virtually. Binnie has been inducted in the California Library Association’s Hall of Fame and has received and Oracle Award – national recognition for her storytelling. Her library service publications and books have been well received, including African American Librarians in the Far West, Pioneers and Trailblazers; African and African American Portrayals in Newbery Award Winning Titles; and A life in storytelling. These titles and others were published by Roman and Littlefield (Scarecrow Press).

Vogue M. Robinson: Poet, Author, Mentor, Teaching Artist

Vogue M. Robinson – poet, author, mentor, and teaching artist – has an appreciation for human beings who put truth and heart into words. She served as poet laureate of Clark County, Nevada and is the first Black woman to receive the Silver Pen award from the Nevada Writers’ Hall of Fame. Her first poetry collection, Vogue 3:16 is available in both print and audiobook format. Robinson serves as a teaching artist within classrooms, community centers, nonprofits, retirement communities, and of course, inside your computer. Vogue resides in Las Vegas, NV, with her family. You’re invited to visit her website www.vogue316.com for books and visual art.