BLACK CROSSWORD | A Busboys and Poets Books Presentation
Date and Time
Jul 9, 2025 6:00 pm
Location
14th & V
2021 14th St NW, Washington, District of Columbia, 20009
Jul 9, 2025 6:00 pm
14th & V
Join us to engage with Black culture and history in a playful evening of celebration, learning, and live puzzling
Frustrated by the dearth of Black people creating puzzles or appearing as clues, media professional and entrepreneur Juliana Pache launched blackcrossword.com at the beginning of 2023. The site took off at once and was met with an overwhelmingly positive reception from new and seasoned solvers alike.
Like her site, the concept for the first Black Crossword is a game that places emphasis on terms and clues from across the diaspora. By highlighting prominent cultural figures, movements, artistic achievements, and Black vernacular from across the globe, Black Crossword on the page serves as a simple yet impactful way for solvers to engage in the diaspora and celebrate Black culture.
This second collection offers even more challenges and choice, featuring different grid sizes from 6 x 6 to 8 x 8. Highlighting terms and clues from across the diaspora--topics include prominent cultural figures and movements, artistic achievements, history, and Black vernacular from around the globe--Black Crossword: 100 Midi Puzzles Connecting The African Diaspora covers popular culture, the arts, literature, and more, and follows the form of the original Black Crossword, but with more letters, and more room to highlight the Diaspora's rich history.
Juliana Pache is joining us on the Busboys stage to talk about the journey of Black Crossword and present a live puzzling session. Copies of her crossword books will be available for purchase during and after the event, and Pache will be signing following the program.
This event has a $5 entrance fee. Tickets are free for Washington Association of Black Journalists members only. We will be checking registrations at the door.
Our program begins at 6:00 pm, and will include an audience Q&A. Copies of the first and second editions of BLACK CROSSWORD will be available for purchase after the event. Please note that this event is in person and will not be livestreamed.
We ask that guests RSVP in order to receive direct updates about the event from Busboys and Poets Books
Juliana Pache is a media professional and the creator of Black Crossword. Before launching BlackCrossword.com in 2023, Pache led social strategy at brands and publications such as The FADER and Rolling Stone. Her first book of puzzles “Black Crossword: 100 Mini Puzzles Celebrating the African Diaspora” was published in August 2024 with Amistad/HarperCollins. Her second book of MIDI puzzles was published on June 3rd, 2025. She lives in Brooklyn, New York.
Washington Association of Black Journalists (WABJ) provides members with ongoing professional education opportunities and advocates for greater diversification of the profession.
