I can now confess that I was very close to moving the L.A. Black Book Expo to a different venue this year. As much as the Expo Center’s been good to us, we’re a growing event as evidenced by our partnership with Barnes and Noble. You would think that would be enough to convince people to join up, that they see what a benefit this would be to the community, right?

Not so fast.

Maybe I shouldn’t address this or it shows a lack of ‘decorum’ on my part, so I’ll make this brief. We were close to moving the Expo to our new location, but the facility owners I negotiated with, stalled. I kept calling constantly, making contacts as much as possible, sending emails again with the same information asked for because one of the owners didn’t know what I asked for although I had laid out my plans very clearly the first time. If this was the first time, I would understand why this deal fell apart; it wasn’t the right date for it, there was something else going on, and there wouldn’t be enough time, etc. What made me close the deal was the news of an event scheduled later that night that after all our talks, I didn’t know about until that moment. Rather than rush the authors and exhibitors out, I had to decline and end negotiations, which makes me proud to know on my end, this is the last time we’ll discuss this matter of hosting the Expo in this facility with each other.

Like I said, if it was the first time, I understand. But it wasn’t. I tried for about two years and wound up unsuccessful in my efforts. In my mind, I hoped for a partnership like the Black Writers on Tour with the L.A. Black Business Expo had for several years, with the Tour part of the Business Expo. However, the Book Expo as much as I tried, didn’t have the same response from this well known facility in the heart of the city. Rather than make accusations and finger pointing, it’s best to move on but I will say this in passing. With our children in need of more education on the literary side, our youth lacking the necessary reading and writing skills to advance in this new millennium, why on earth do people hem and haw about an event that could be an absolute win-win to our community?

On the Book Expo side, we were fortunate to have screenwriters, self-help experts, biographers, comic book artists, marketers, and even a well-known author to join us this year. I believe this would have been a great opportunity for a grand partnership with this facility hosting our event while bringing in more attendance for both the Expo and their facility. However, they didn’t see it that way and I’ll have to respect their decision.

It just amazes me that if our goal is to help the community with promoting literacy, embracing it, utilizing it to its fullest potential, then why do we make it so hard for ourselves at times? I didn’t have the same resistance from Barnes and Noble, which heard about LABBX and wanted to partner up with us from the first time we met. Nor did 93.5 KDAY (The Beat FM last year), when they invited us to donate books for Michael Baisden’s Book and Toy Drive last December 2008. Maybe I’m too modest about these things and should brag about them more, but this is what happens when you look beyond yourself and realize there’s more to this world than our little part of it. People will seek you out and connect with you.

All I can say is that, I appreciate the opportunity of at least entertaining the idea of moving into this facility, but it’s time to move on.

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