Publix and the organizers of the Black Book Bash, the inaugural literary festival celebrating Black authors, are at odds after organizers said the grocery chain withdrew its sponsorship just days before Friday’s kickoff in Jacksonville, Florida. Publix has denied the claims.

What are Black Book Bash organizers and Publix saying about the situation?

According to News 4 Jax, event organizers posted a video on social media stating that Publix was the title sponsor of the Black Book Bash. After the company reportedly emailed them, withdrawing support, organizers had to use their personal funds to keep the event going as scheduled.

Despite the organizers’ claim, Publix told News 4 Jax that the company had never agreed to sponsor the event.

“We’re disheartened,” a Publix communications director told the outlet during a phone interview. “After conducting a thorough investigation, we concluded that Publix never agreed to sponsor or serve as the title sponsor of this event.”

Publix has faced backlash over the dispute, with online users calling for a boycott of the Florida-based grocery chain.

Black Book Bash organizer shares receipts of rescinded Publix sponsorship

On Tuesday, Casey Kelley, an organizer for the Black Book Bash, shared her account of what happened between both parties.

“Over the past few months, one of our sponsorship coordinators was in communication with someone from a Publix.com email address,” Kelley said.

She also shared an email with News 4 Jax from someone at Publix rescinding the sponsorship offer. A portion of the email reads:

“I regret to inform you that Publix [is] no longer able to offer sponsorships for the foreseeable future. In this volatile [climate], we have pulled all sponsorships for the foreseeable future. As a result, we are rescinding the existing offer to sponsor Black Book Bash…”

The first part of the email wasn’t visible, but it ended with publix.com, typically used by the company’s communications team, according to its website.

‘We reached an agreement for exclusivity on the title sponsorship’

On Tuesday, Kelley shared a video on the organization’s Instagram account, providing her followers with a detailed timeline of the situation.

“What up, Book People? We are excited about Black Book Bash happening this weekend. Unfortunately, the focus has shifted from the event to Publix — with a whole lot of misinformation and inaccuracies,” Kelley began in the two-minute clip.

She continued, “Over the past two months, one of our sponsorship coordinators had been in communication with someone from a publix.com email address. Through multiple calls, virtual meetings, and even emails, we reached an agreement for exclusivity on the title sponsorship, and that’s not the only sponsor. It’s the title sponsor. On Sept. 22, we received an email from the same email address that stated that Publix would no longer be sponsoring. Despite that, our team pulled together our personal funds and resources to cover all outstanding balances… two days later on Sept. 24.”

Kelley also mentioned a video that went viral on Sept. 26, highlighting this situation and that both parties have remained in communication. However, she confirmed that Black Book Bash has denied all Publix media requests. The company claimed it denied the sponsorship because the initial request did not come from the organization.

With all of the backlash Publix has received, the company has maintained its initial response to the situation: “We can confirm definitively that this communication was never sent by Publix,” a company spokesperson said in a follow-up statement to News 4 Jax.

Kelley insists that the event will continue on Friday through the weekend, shedding light on Black readership through community efforts.