The 2026 Amethyst and Amber Griot Gala: a celebration of Newark Poetry

SAVE THE DATE: Saturday July 18th, 2026 EvoluCulture Ventures invites you to Celebrate Greatness Recited In Our Time at the 2nd biannualAmethyst & Amber Griot Gala! On this night, we thank the poets and storytellers of then, now and forever with a moment to do what they ask of others: breathe in love, detox from hate, and look good while doing both. This year, we honor the renowned poet, playwright and social worker Dr. Helena D. Lewis (Call Me Crazy: Diary of a Mad Social Worker, HBO’s Def Poetry) with the Breya Knight Griot Award for Artistry and Advacacy Performing live will be Newark Poet Laureate Margie "Mia X" Johnson, Tehsuan "Starski" Glover, Leah "Lyric" Jackson and, in celebration of his solar return , EvoluCulture CEO Sean Battle. We also celebrate 6 years of EvoluCulture as an LLC (out of our overall 11 years as an active brand). Doors open 7:00PM for Cocktail Hour with Dopen DJ, Don Krypton and a menu of delights catered by Treasure Golden Confecions. Concluding will be the Club IZM. Dance party, presented by Black Boy Wonderment and Dopen DJ, The IZM. Dress Code: Formal, but ready to dance. Colors: Amethyst & Amber (Purple & Gold) Hope to see you soon at 37 Fulton Street, Newark, NJ!