Visions of the Present: A Panel Discussion

10:10-11:30 a.m | Taper Auditorium

A cipher of Black artists and scholars discuss how the themes of Butler's 1998 novel Parable of the Talents parallel with our history and our lived experiences, where the timelines diverge, and what it means to 'shape change' as a culture worker in Los Angeles, 2025.

Tyree Boyd-Pates is the founder, principal, and chief curator of NOMMO Cultural Strategies. An impactful author, historian, curator, writer, DJ, social entrepreneur, and international speaker, he explores Black culture through a contemporary lens. He mobilizes communities of color through journalism, education, and historical advocacy.

Ashley Blakeney, (she/her/hers) is a Los-Angeles based arts healing facilitator and cultural leader with more than a decade of experience working in arts organizations and education. As the Executive Director at the Crenshaw Dairy Mart since 2021, Blakeney helps artists and communities of color imagine new systems for a more equitable world. Working at the intersection of abolition and healing, Blakeney’s professional and personal focus centers on cultivating safe spaces for connection and creative expression. Blakeney holds certificates from the UCLArts and Healing Social Emotional Arts (SEA) program and the National Guild Community Arts Education Leadership Institute. She received her BA at the University of Southern California, with a focus on creative writing and photography.

Moderated by: Schessa Garbutt, (they/them) is an award-winning Belizean-American designer, educator, near-futurist writer, and founder of Firebrand Creative House. Their studio practice centers brand identity and UI/UX for social impact initiatives and mission-driven organizations at local, state, and national levels. In 2025, Firebrand published its first imprint, Time and Its Travelers (2025), a queer and BIPOC anthology edited and designed by Garbutt.

Registration is required to attend this in-person program. To participate, please email rsvpoctavialab@lapl.org.

Return to Earthseed: A Tabletop Roleplay Campaign in Octavia E. Butler's Parable Universe

10-11:30 a.m | Meeting Room B

Created by Angeleno game masters, this interactive role-playing adventure inhabits the world of Octavia Butler’s Parable series—a world afflicted by similar social, political, and environmental challenges we face. This gaming space allows players to co-create our own understanding of the hope, creativity, and resilience that shaped Octavia’s novel, Parable of the Talents while the openness of table-top gaming allows expansion upon characters, creation of new stories, and finding new possibilities.

This program is now full and will no longer be accepting registrations.

Voices Amplified: LA Commons Presents Octavia E. Butler Themed Zine Workshop With Willie James Thomas

10-noon | Octavia Lab

Join LA Commons and artist Willie James Thomas in a zine-making workshop inspired by the legacy and work of Octavia Butler. Explore themes of race, resilience, and climate as we collage our visions of the past, present, and future!

Registration is required to attend this in-person program. To participate, please email rsvpoctavialab@lapl.org.