Riverside, CA – An event to celebrate Black History Month will be held at Cellar Door Books on Sunday, February 17, 2013.  Cellar Doors Books, a new independently owned bookstore in Riverside is located at 5225 Canyon Crest Dr Suite 30A/B, Riverside, California., and feature guest speakers, live music, and comedy from local artists as well a featured reading and book signing from Nikki Grimes, and Rudy Fransisco

New York Times bestselling author Nikki Grimes is the recipient of the 2006 NCTE Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children.Her distinguished works include ALA Notable book What is Goodbye?, Coretta Scott King Award winner Bronx Masquerade, the novels Jazmin’s Notebook, Dark Sons,and The Road to Paris (Coretta Scott King Author Honor Books).Creator of the popular Meet Danitra Brown.  Nikky Grimes will kicking off the program at 3:00pm with a reading and book signing.

Rudy Francisco is the 2009 National Underground Poetry Slam Champion, the 2010 San Diego Grand Slam Champion, the 2010 Individual World Poetry Slam Champion and is starred in season 2 of  TV One’s “Verses and Flow”.  His spoken word performance will start at 5:00pm.

Other speakers include Lydia Theon Ware , Celena Bumbus, Gail Galloway and local comedian Anthony Stone.  Live music will be provided the local band, the West Coast Avengers and Fanness.  This special event made possible by a partnership with new organization, SALT + SPICE, a monthly series dedicated to providing inspiration through creative experience workshops, local artist, writer and performer spotlights and cultural journeys for the general public in the Inland Empire.  This literary celebration will also welcome poetry submissions from participants for Call: A Celebration of Black Literature, a yearly anthology edited by Nikia Chaney for the celebration of black literature.

For more information please contact Nikia Chaney at nikiachaney@gmail.com or (909) 440-7167 or visit callanthology.wordpress.com, saltandspice.weebly.com