Darlene Williams on the Black Authors Festival, AI Plagiarism Traps, and the Truth About Publishing
Darlene Williams is the founder and president of the Black Authors Festival, held annually in Sag Harbor, New York and Atlanta, Georgia. She is also a certified personal and professional development coach, college educator, literacy advocate, and founder of the Higher Level Method publishing imprint.
In this episode of Diversified Game, Darlene Williams joins Kellen Coleman for a powerful conversation on literacy, publishing, banned books, AI writing risks, and the deeper cost of illiteracy in Black America.
Darlene shares why literacy is more than reading. It is access, power, political awareness, economic mobility, and self-determination. She also discusses the story of her husband, whose life shows what literacy can unlock: from juvenile detention and prison, to teaching himself to read behind bars, earning his GED, tutoring more than 200 inmates, graduating summa cum laude with his masterโs degree, teaching at the college level, becoming a licensed social worker in two states, and graduating from Columbia University.
This conversation goes deep on why banned books matter, how Black history is being erased, why critical thinking must be taught early, and what authors need to understand before trusting AI to write or publish their work.
Coach Darlene does not give quick fixes. She gives truth.
Connect with Darlene Williams:
Black Authors Festival:
https://www.blackauthorsfestival.com
Contact:
Marcia Davis / EPi Media Group
imari@epimediagroup.com
LinkedIn:
Search Darlene Williams directly on LinkedIn
Chapters:
0:00 Introduction and Guest Intro
0:36 Who Is Darlene Williams and What Is the Black Authors Festival
2:15 Why Literacy Is More Than Reading
4:10 The Numbers: Over a Third of Black Adults Below Fourth Grade Reading Level
7:29 Illiteracy, Voting, and Why Local Elections Matter Most
10:55 Banned Books and the Erasure of Black History
11:50 Critical Thinking, Self-Banning, and How to Raise Discerning Children
17:00 Book Recommendations That Build Critical Thinking
23:40 The Testimony: From Prison Illiteracy to Columbia University MSW
29:05 Audiobooks vs. Physical Books: What the Data Says
31:00 The Business of Publishing and What New Authors Get Wrong
32:23 The Higher Level Method, Anthologies, and the Path to Becoming an Author
38:17 How Darlene Monetized Literacy Without a Rich Uncle
43:52 Black Authors Festival: Honorees, Contacts, and What You Actually Gain
49:12 The Peach Tree: A Lesson on Doing the Work Without the Expectation
53:29 How Many Editors You Need and Why AI Cannot Be Your Publisher
Sponsored by MillionaireX AI
AI tools, automation, and wealth-building intelligence for entrepreneurs and professionals.
Visit:
https://www.millionairex.ai
Diversified Game Podcast
Hosted by Kellen Coleman
Website:
https://www.diversifiedgame.com
Consulting:
https://www.cprfirm.com
Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube:
@KellenColeman
Suggested Videos:
Janean C. Armstrong | Sis, Get Your Purse in Order | Financial Literacy for Black Women
L. Kevin Morrison | Morrison Group LLC | U.S. Africa Business and Legacy Strategy
Dr. Stanley Andrisse | From Prison to PhD | Advocacy, Education, and Redemption
Related Search Phrases:
Black literacy statistics, banned books Black history, Black Authors Festival Sag Harbor, literacy advocacy, critical thinking skills, how to become a published author, AI plagiarism danger, audiobooks vs reading, Black homeschool resources, Darlene Williams coach
#DiversifiedGame #DarleneWilliams #BlackAuthorsFestival #LiteracyMatters #BannedBooks #BlackHistory #CriticalThinking #BlackAuthors #PublishingTips #AIWriting #KellenColeman #MillionaireXAI #HigherLevelMethod #FathersLove #DGP
DGP&x% ๐๐ฟ
Our TOPPODCAST Picks 
Stay Connected
