Today Eventbrite announced the ten finalists for their RECONVENE Accelerator program to help emerging creators build community and shape culture. I’m one of them! And if I win I get $10,000 to put on an event.

I want to launch a BIPOC Book Fair in the Pacific Northwest. Sounds awesome, right? Guess what: you can help make it happen! Two of the five winners will be chosen by popular vote. Voting is open from June 21 to 29 and anyone can cast a ballot. You can vote once every day, in fact. And each time you vote I get one step closer to making my dream event a reality.

The BIPOC Book Fair will be similar to the Scholastic book fair: kids can explore a room full of books–all written by BIPOC authors with BIPOC characters–and choose one book to take home free. I want to ensure that, no matter their family’s financial circumstances, every kid had a chance to get a book. Especially knowing that some kids never get to buy from the book fairs at school.

The event will be marketed primarily to BIPOC families and there will be free tickets available to low income families. And yes, free ticket kids get a free book, too. That’s what some of the $10K will go to: paying for the books we give away. I also hope to get some donated by publishers and authors, if possible.

The theme for the first BIPOC Book Fair will be Science and Science Fiction, so there will be a heavy emphasis on books covering those topics/genres. There will also be books from all genres available and we’ll have books for all ages from picture books to YA.

I’ve spoken to the owner of Third Eye Books, the Black bookstore in town, and librarians from the Multnomah County Library about selling books and being on hand to suggest books to kids based on their likes. I’ll invite local BIPOC kidlit authors to sign books, lead activities, and other fun stuff.

I really, really want to make this book fair happen! The only way I can afford to pull it off is if I win the $10K from RECONVENE Accelerator. They’ll also provide mentorship to ensure I have all the tools I need to plan, market, and pull it off.

Ready to help me make this dream a reality? All you have to do is vote. Vote early, vote often! (Once every day at least.)

And share. All you have to do is vote and share the news to everyone you know.

Voting is open from June 21 – 29. Vote now and help me make a BIPOC Book Fair a reality!