ENJOY 2nd Annual celebration of Black Comics, Sci-Fi, Afrofuturism, and Astral Blackness during the week of San Diego Comic-con! The Afrofuturism Lounge is the first of its kind and back again for another round; Part After Party, Part Black Artists Showcase. Proceeds from this event will benefit DETOUR (Depositing Empowerment Through Outreach & Urban Redevelopment). DETOUR is a mentoring program for girls of color whose mission is to increase access to education and employment opportunities for girls through our Focused And Naturally Confident Youth (F.A.N.C.Y.) Leadership programs (Expo, Leadership Academy, and Ambassador Internships). Our message is it is never too late to reposition yourself to passionately seek and fulfill your purpose! This ties in perfectly with the Afrofuturism and the principle of Sankofa. It’s never too late to go back and fix it.

Free Entry to Exhibitor Hall.

$10 General Admission includes panels and workshops fee as well as contest entry option on ticketed day.

$20 VIP access includes General Admission as well as guaranteed access to receptions and contests.

Want to volunteer? Message event organizers or send email to info@firyali.com with Volunteer in the subject line to express interest.

This year, we have added:

Workshops and Panels

Cosplay Competition Friday evening

Hero/Villain Lair Design Competition Saturday evening

Key56internetradio.com will broadcast live from onsite with music and interviews.

Complete with Drinks & Music! If you can’t get into the SDCC, or are looking for something fun to do in the Gaslamp District after the doors of SDCC close, THIS EVENT IS FOR YOU! And it’s FREE ADMISSION! Come experience Black Comic Book Creators and Artists all in one spot, July 19th and 20th from 5pm-11pm both nights.

After being overwhelmed last year by the level of support and demand for this event, we have moved to a more accessible venue to better accommodate you. We prevail upon you for patience and grace as we assure you we have taken into consideration all of our lessons learned from last year so that the lounge can be even better the 2nd time around.

DISCLAIMER: Capacity limits apply. Volunteers are encouraged though positions are limited.

Observing the 400 years since the arrival of Africans to Jamestown, the theme of this year’s commemoration will be focused on the struggle for Black liberation and reparations. We will have poetry, song, dance, history, panel discussions, food and more. This event is for all ages.

Black August was created by incarcerated Black people in order to commemorate the struggle for Black liberation. Directly linked to the memory of George Jackson and Jonathan Jackson, the month of August is a crucial month for Black liberation. While February has become a moment to highlight inspirational and representational moments of Black History, Black August is directly devoted to the history of struggle and in honor of Black political prisoners being held captive as well as the martyrs we have lost.

Black August is a moment to:

Honor and commemorate the lives and deaths of several fallen Freedom Fighters

To bring unity among Black/African/New African prisoners, and education and awareness

To educate our people about and honor the history and actions of continued resistance of Black/New Afrikan/Afrikan peoples

THERE ARE TWO SHOWS: 6 PM and 9 PMOver the course of a career spanning 30 years, Cedric the Entertainer has solidified his status as one of the world’s premier performers. In July 2018, the actor and comedian was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Just months later, in December 2018,  Cedric’s hometown of St Louis, Missouri named a street in his honor, Cedric The Entertainer Way, in recognition of his far-reaching career achievements and dedicated philanthropy.

In addition to starring in and executive producing TV’s #1 new comedy, THE NEIGHBORHOOD, Cedric also currently co-stars in the hit comedy “The Last O.G.” Additional television credits include “The Soul Man,” a comedy series Cedric co-created, executive produced and starred in for five seasons; “The Steve Harvey Show,” for which Cedric won four consecutive NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy; the sketch comedy series “Cedric the Entertainer Presents” nabbing the AFTRA Award of Excellence; and Disney’s animated “The Proud Family,” which earned him an NAACP Image Award. Also noteworthy, he hosted the 12th season of the syndicated game show “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.”

In film, Cedric is perhaps best known for his crowd-pleasing performances in the hit “Barbershop” film franchise, as well as “The Original Kings of Comedy,” the Spike Lee-directed concert feature that chronicled the record-breaking Kings of Comedy Tour. Additionally, his vocal talents are showcased in the top-ranking “Madagascar” and “Disney’s Planes” animated franchises. Most recently, Cedric earned critical acclaim for his dramatic performance in the Oscar-nominated feature, “First Reformed,” starring Ethan Hawke and Amanda Seyfried.