The Nommo Gathering Black Writers Collective, Inc. is a community arts organization in Chicago. Established in December 2000 in honor of the late Illinois Poet Laureate Gwendolyn Brooks, the organization’s primary mission is to nurture the emergence of new literary voices and to provide a critical framework for the written evaluation of the sociopolitical and cultural impact of arts forms indigenous to people of African descent. We promote arts education, arts advocacy and the rich cultural history of our people. Nommo writers are poets, playwrights, satirists, journalists, essayist, novelists, short story creators, songwriters, and from many other literary genres. The Nommo Gathering hosts free creative writing workshops, conducts a summer literary boot camp to children and teens and promotes artistic expression. It also produces theatrical performances, staged readings, poetry slams, cyphers, book festivals and author showcases throughout the city. The Bantu term nommo denotes the magical power of words to cause change; the Dogon language gives us "to drink." We believe in using the power of words to change the condition of our people and to tear down the walls of oppression, hatred and and racial injustice; and drink love, drink healing, drink peace, drink justice.