History of Romance Slam Jam

Emma Rodgers, Ashira Tosihwe and Francis Ray give birth to the ROMANCE SLAM JAM in 1995 in Dallas, Texas, to demonstrate what Nikki Giovanni describes as “The Power, Passion and Pain of Black Love.”

There was much success at Black Images marketing, promoting and selling the works of black romance writers since the early 90’s that they decided it was time to take their love for romance to a new level by bringing writers and readers together. After two successful in-store events in 1995 and 1996, two terrific cruises and program in Nassau, Bahamas in 1997 and 1998 they took a year off.

In 2000 the ROMANCE SLAM JAM went to the next level. This was the first Slam to be organized by a book club. ROMANCE NOIR BOOK CLUB, with the guidance of Emma Rodgers, Francis Ray, and Anna Laurence the event was a huge success. When I asked Cindi Louis, founder of Romance Noir Book Club what she hoped people would take from the event, she simply said, “All the love that is in this room right now. And for the 2001 committee to do something with the awards that our guest speaker, Beverly Jenkins talked about at the luncheon on Saturday.”

With the leadership of reader, Brenda Woodbury; writer, Brenda Jackson; bookseller, Jackie Perkins of Montsho Books; and SISTAHS of DISTINCTION BOOK CLUB the vision was brought to fruition in Orlando, Florida 2001. The EMMA Award was born. It only was fit for the first EMMA award to be presented by Emma Rodgers, herself. That award went to Deirdre Savoy for Favorite New Author. Making Romance Slam Jam 2001 the biggest as of yet.

The torch has been passed on to writer, Jacquelin Thomas and JOURNEY’S END LITERARY CLUB which will be held March 7-10, 2002 in Durham, NC.

The Romance Slam Jam grew out of an early desire to recognize, and pay respect to OUR authors, and to celebrate their craft with their avid fans.