Cultural Statement, Mission & Inclusion Policy

Cultural Statement

SPEC BLK exists to center, celebrate, and build infrastructure for Black speculative storytelling.

Our work is rooted in the belief that Black stories belong everywhere: in books, on screens, in libraries, in classrooms, in archives, in cultural institutions, and across emerging media. We honor the storytellers who imagine Black people in the past, present, future, the supernatural, the ancestral, the surreal, the dystopian, the utopian, and the worlds still being born.

SPEC BLK was created to support the growth, visibility, professional development, and industry connection of Black speculative storytelling across publishing, film, television, libraries, and emerging media.

SPEC BLK welcomes all who respect this mission and wish to participate in building a stronger, more intentional ecosystem around Black speculative stories.

Mission

SPEC BLK is a year-round creator ecosystem and professional convening designed to support Black speculative storytelling across mediums.

Our mission is to build pathways for creators, cultivate industry relationships, strengthen cultural infrastructure, and create opportunities for stories centered on Black imagination, Black futures, Black memory, Black survival, and Black possibility.

Through convenings, showcases, professional development, creator exchange, partnerships, and community programming, SPEC BLK works to bridge the gap between storytelling, publishing, film, television, libraries, and emerging media.

Inclusion Statement

SPEC BLK is intentionally centered on Black speculative storytelling, but participation in SPEC BLK is not limited by race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, age, or any other protected status.

All attendees, speakers, submitters, sponsors, partners, guests, and community members are welcome, provided they respect the purpose, cultural focus, and community standards of SPEC BLK.

We welcome writers, filmmakers, publishers, producers, librarians, cultural workers, readers, educators, creative entrepreneurs, and industry professionals who are aligned with the mission of supporting Black speculative storytelling and expanding opportunities for creators across mediums.

Non-Discrimination Policy

SPEC BLK does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, age, veteran status, citizenship status, or any other status protected by applicable law.

SPEC BLK welcomes participation from all individuals who agree to follow event policies, respect community standards, and engage in good faith with the mission of the organization.

Selection for programming, speaking opportunities, showcase participation, partnerships, sponsorships, advisory roles, or other SPEC BLK opportunities may be based on mission alignment, professional experience, creative relevance, submission quality, programming needs, availability, eligibility requirements, and event capacity.

Community Standards

SPEC BLK is designed to be a respectful, creative, and professionally grounded space.

Participants are expected to engage with care, respect, and integrity. Harassment, threats, intimidation, hate speech, discrimination, disruptive behavior, or targeted hostility toward attendees, speakers, staff, volunteers, partners, or participants will not be tolerated.

SPEC BLK reserves the right to remove any individual from an event, deny participation, revoke access, reject submissions, or decline future involvement if their conduct violates community standards, venue policies, safety expectations, or the purpose of the event.

Purpose of Cultural Focus

SPEC BLK’s focus on Black speculative storytelling reflects a cultural, creative, and industry-centered mission.

We exist to create intentional space for the study, celebration, development, and advancement of stories, creators, and professional pathways connected to Black speculative imagination.

All participants are expected to understand and respect that cultural focus.

Accessibility & Belonging

SPEC BLK seeks to create programming that is accessible, welcoming, and useful to a wide range of participants, including emerging creators, established professionals, community members, students, educators, librarians, cultural workers, and industry partners.

We encourage participants to share access needs when registering or communicating with SPEC BLK so that reasonable efforts can be made to support participation.

Questions

Questions about this policy may be directed to:

hello @ legacymediaonline .com