Covid-19 Protocol

Due to the upcoming vaccination/testing requirements, we are re-posting the Busboys and Poets Safety Protocol:

“The COVID-19 pandemic is an unprecedented moment in history and has impacted the hospitality industry unlike anything else we have experienced before.  This manual is an introduction to how Busboys and Poets plans to get in front of the situation, stay ahead of the curve and come out on the other side together as one with our values intact.  We will revisit our best practices every day with the ever shifting terrain as we want to provide the strictest safety protocols possible to ensure everyone remains safe.”

                                                                                                 Andy Shallal, Founder

PHOTO 2024 02 01 07 10 14

For Langston Hughes on His 123 Birthday

Speech given on February 1, 2024 in Havana, Cuba In 1927 Langston Hughes walked into a Cuba amid an emerging community of artists, intellectuals, and radicals.  He saw a “sunrise in a new land [– a day – in his words]sic – full of brownskin surprises, and hitherto unknown contacts in a world of color.”  … Continued

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Palestine Week 2024

January 18, 2024 – January 25, 2024 In keeping with our ongoing mission of uplifting racial and cultural connections, Busboys and Poets is hosting Palestine Week (January 18 through January 25, 2024). This week-long series of events will offer a diverse range of programming featuring Palestinian food, music, dance, poetry, discussions, and other enriching events. … Continued

Busboys and Poets Book Review: Young, Gifted, and Black

Busboys and Poets Book Review: Young, Gifted, and Black

Bearing the same name as Nina Simone’s iconic song, “Young, Gifted, and Black” explores the lives of 52 black people, both past and present, who have helped shaped different aspects of black culture. As author Jamia Wilson explains in the foreword, “this book is a love letter to our ancestors and the next generation of … Continued

6. Langston Hughes in Cuba

Follow along for the Busboys and Poets Travel Tribe’s Cultural Exchange trip to Cuba (July 6-13, 2022) By Andy Shallal (@andyshallal CEO/Founder, Busboys and Poets) The Union of Writers and Artists is one of the oldest institutions formed after the Cuban revolution. The year was 1961. Its first president was Nicolas Guillen. Cuba’s national poet. Named … Continued

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4. Cuba – The Hotel Nacional

Follow along for the Busboys and Poets Travel Tribe’s Cultural Exchange trip to Cuba (July 6-13, 2022) Wednesday, July 6, 2022 By Andy Shallal (@andyshallal CEO/Founder, Busboys and Poets) On the way to the hotel we make a pit stop for lunch. A sprawling thatch covered restaurant. Completely open to the elements on all sides. Linen … Continued