Founders’ Day 2025 | Sowing Community: Living with Octavia E. Butler’s “Parables”
Octavia E. Butler’s 1993 novel Parable of the Sower begins in a dystopian Southern California in 2024, following teenager Lauren Olamina and an expanding circle of companions as they confront violence, earthquakes, fires, and scarce resources. The group makes their way to Northern California to establish a new community based on the principles of Earthseed, a religion that Lauren develops in response to the social, political, and climatological distress in the world around her.
The Huntington, which holds Butler’s archive, will host a conversation about Parable of the Sower and its 1998 sequel, Parable of the Talents, with moderator Monique Thomas and panelists Nikki High, Tamisha A. Tyler, and John Williams. They will explore Butler’s call to community building, her influence on writers and activists, and how her fiction does—and doesn’t—speak to the present moment.
Program
6 p.m. | Doors Open
6:30–7:30 p.m. | Public Program, Rothenberg Hall
7:30–8:30 p.m. | Post-Program Conversation, Haaga Hall
We invite attendees to meet one another and engage in a deeper discussion following the program.
For those interested in book purchases, Octavia’s Bookshelf will sell books after the event (Huntington Membership discounts do not apply). We also encourage you to visit Octavia’s Bookshelf, located at 1353 N. Hill Ave., Pasadena, CA 91104.
Featured Guests
Nikki High
Nikki High is the owner of Octavia’s Bookshelf, a Black-owned independent bookstore in Pasadena that celebrates BIPOC authors and serves as a place for community connections. A former communications executive with Trader Joe’s, High opened Octavia’s Bookshelf in 2023 to create a welcoming space for readers of all walks of life to enjoy magical stories and discover specially curated products from artisans from the neighborhood and around the world. The bookstore’s name honors Octavia E. Butler, an Altadena/Pasadena native, award-winning sci-fi author, and MacArthur Fellow.
Tamisha A. Tyler
Tamisha A. Tyler (she/her/hers) is a visiting assistant professor of theology and culture and theopoetics at Bethany Theological Seminary in Richmond, Indiana. She also serves as a theologian-in-residence at the Center for Restorative Justice in Pasadena, California, and is part of the Level Ground Artist Collective in Los Angeles. Her current research explores religion in the literary world of Octavia E. Butler.
John Williams
John Williams is the executive director of the Center for Restorative Justice. With nearly 30 years of experience in peacemaking and racial reconciliation, he specializes in coaching, training, and immersive history tours. A former attorney with 23 years of experience in civil litigation and mediation, he also taught race, reconciliation, and justice at the university level.
Monique L. Thomas
Monique L. Thomas is the diversity, equity, and inclusion manager at The Huntington, where she works to promote an inclusive organizational culture and strengthen employee engagement. As a writer and performer, Thomas’ creative works focus on celebrating Black cultural identity and the intersection of the personal and political. She serves on the boards of All Saints Church and Young & Healthy.
About Founders’ Day
Founders’ Day is observed annually at The Huntington in honor of Henry E. and Arabella Huntington’s roles in envisioning and establishing the institution. Each year, the program explores topics connected to The Huntington and the rich history of its location in the San Gabriel Valley. Recent featured guests include artist Sandy Rodriguez (2021), writer Charles Yu (2022), and graphic designer Silas Munro and curator Pilar Tompkins Rivas (2023).
Image: Notes for Parable of the Sower, ca. 1989, OEB 1704, Octavia E. Butler Papers, The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens.