NEWSLETTER OF THE ASSOCIATION FOR BLACK CULTURE CENTERS
Fall 2009
Book Power
Recent releases in literature, history,
and culture.
Between Barack and a Hard
Place: Racism and White
Denial in the Age of Obama
By Tim Wise
City Lights Books
Volume 17, Issue 2
Returning the Favor: Cleveland State University Student
Examines the Impact of a Culture Center
By Dr. Michael Williams, Conference Co-Host
Black Studies Program Director
Cleveland State University
We often get caught up in the day-to-day
things of life, and we tend to fail to notice the
impact that our various Black Studies Programs/Cultural Centers has upon our students,
faculty, staff and community. Just the other
day, I was reminded of this reality when one of
my work-study students, Ms. Jeannise Andres,
presented me with one of her latest poems. In
my haste to finish the task before me, I put the
poem aside among other documents on my
desk. I would get to it later when I had time.
Later that day, Ms. Andres again asked me if I
had read her poem. I told her that I had not but
I would do so soon. As she turned away I could
see and sense her disappointment that I had not
read her work. Not wishing to disappoint her, I
told her that I would read the poem as soon as I
finished my latest task. In the quiet of my office,
I unfolded the paper that contained her poem. I
began to read and was overwhelmed by what
she had written.
Ms. Andres’ poem vividly reminds us why we
must continue the ongoing struggle to make
Black Studies Programs/Cultural Centers an
integral part of the fabric of colleges and universities. Such places have a seen and unseen effect upon the lives of students. Our work oftentimes is not appreciated, misunderstood, and
under resourced by many parts of the academic
and student community. Despite such challenges, the work has a transforming effect upon
our students, campuses and communities.
As I left my office after another day of struggle, I read her poem again . It provides me with
encouragement to return the next day to continue the battle to make our program stronger
for the other Ms. Andreses of the world—both
known and unknown. No higher honor can be
bestowed upon a program/Center than for it
have an impact in the lives of our students.
See you at the Conference!
“Returning the Favor”
Written by Jeanisse Andres
Liberalism, Black Power,
and the Making of American Politics, 1965-1980
By Devin Fergus
The University of Georgia Press
This center has changed my life in so many ways
that I must say it twice!
This center has changed my life!
In college, I grew from a young lady to a woman
who is proud of her history and her future.
I have learned that inside of these walls,
I have a family.
I have learned that just by reading a book,
I am breaking stereotypes, tearing down old walls and being
the example of what it takes to be successful!
I have learned that the people you meet here may be the blessing
that you never expected and that a place that makes you want to learn
more should always be protected.
How Barack Obama Won: A
State-By-State Guide to the
Historic 2008 Presidential
Election
By Chuck Todd and Sheldon
Gawiser
Vintage Books
More books on page 2
Jeanisse Andres
Work-study student
Black Studies Program
Cleveland State University
This center is in the center of my heart! This center is the core
of my ambition to be great!
This center has changed my life in so many ways that I must
say it twice!
This center has changed my life!
The least that I can do to show my appreciation is to say, ―Thank You!‖
I would not be the woman I am now if I was not given the
chance to learn more about the people and moments in
history that paved the way for me.
Howard A. Mims African
American Culture Center
Cleveland State University
ABCC President’s Corner
Dr. Willena Kimpson-Price, President
Director, H. Fred Simons African American Cultural Center
University of Connecticut
It is with great enthusiasm that we welcome you to the 19th Annual National Conference of the Association for Black Culture Centers (ABCC).
We are grateful to Dr. Michael R. Williams, Director of Black Studies,
Cleveland State University and his staff for co-hosting the ABCC Conference.
African American Visual
Arts: From Slavery to the
Present
By Celeste-Marie Bernier
The University of North Carolina Press
ABCC was founded by Dr. Fred L. Hord, professor and chair of Black
Studies at Knox College, Galesburg, Illinois in 1989. A few years later,
in 1993, I attended my first ABCC Conference that was held at Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts. As the former head of Gifted
Education of a New York State school district with a responsibility for
talented and gifted students at 32 schools, I was accustomed to chalDr. Willena Kimpson-Price
lenges and high expectations for my work. In retrospect, few things in
Director, H. Fred Simons Afrimy professional and educational experiences have prepared me for dican American Cultural Center
recting an African American Cultural Center at a historically white uniUniversity of Connecticut
versity more than attending that first ABCC Conference and my long
involvement with the Association for Black Culture Centers.
There is a great sense of continuity that exists within the ABCC. Much of this stability is due to the
leadership of our esteemed founding Executive Director, Dr. Fred Hord. The Association has flourished and served through economic down turns, racial, cultural and social upheavals, political challenges as well as professional transitions and reversals; ABCC has prevailed, through it all. Under the
marvelous leadership of Dr. Hord, the years have been good to us. His good work and the work of the
Executive Assistant, Terry Duffy, have been exponentially multiplied by the works of all of our institutional members, our hundreds of affiliated colleges and universities, and our Executive Board.
We need you! This is your chance to renew and reclaim your positive relationship with the Association for Black Culture Centers.
Obama: From Promise to
Power
By David Mendell
Amistad
More Than Just Race:
Being Black and Poor in
the Inner City
By William Julius Wilson
W. W. Norton and Co.
More books on page 3
2
A New Vision in Identity and Race at Knox College
By Jordan Lanfair, Class of 2011
President, Allied Blacks for Liberty and Equality (A.B.L.E.)
Knox College
A.B.L.E., as both an organization and culture center, should
serve the Knox, Galesburg and general community of cultural centers and academic realm. For this manner, my
main goal for my term as president is to move all of us toward a definition of what it means to be human. The realization that there is only one race is what we as a disenfranchised people must help all to see, and from there we can
begin to discuss how we have been separated, oppressed
Allied Blacks for Liberty and Equality
and punished for our differences. Not just Blacks, but all
(A.B.L.E.) House and Culture Center
groups have been separated and alienated from their true
Knox College
selves and perspectives. Through events, meetings, discussions and the A.B.L.E. Center, I hope to foster a safe space for lively conversation and debate about
defining what it means to be poor, what it means to be Black, what it means to be diverse, and what it
means to have inclusion, and of most importance, how we as people can become more diverse in our
ideas and perspectives on the world.
For this term I know I have set majorly cosmopolitan goals, but I truly feel that if we are to help create change we must make partnerships and forge bonds where before there were none; and that the
events we as an organization host must be guided by a principle. For me and the executive board I
work with, that principle is: We were all made different, so that we can meet each other, know each
other and together make a world that we all share. I am A.B.L.E. president because we are all capable
of great feats, and it is time for us to live up to our ability.
Nommo
ABCC Executive Director’s Report
Dr. Fred Hord, Executive Director and Founder
Knox College
As the national Association for Black Culture
Centers (ABCC) celebrates the twentieth-year
celebration of its inaugural conference – and its
nineteenth annual meeting, we take stock of our
progress since the publication of the spring 2009
newsletter. In addition to
the preparation for a very
different conference this
year and ongoing proDr. Fred L. Hord
jects, five new or revised
Executive Director and initiatives were especially
Founder of the ABCC
significant: monthly eKnox College
newsletter, Kuumba Programming Series, genealogical project, an autonomous web site, and an effort to expand the membership of liberal arts colleges.
Preparation for this year’s national conference assumed some different dimensions. Two
new directions were launched at the spring Board
meeting, held this year at Indiana State University. Dr. Michael Williams, Chairperson of Black
Studies at Cleveland State University, the primary
Co-Host, came to that meeting and recommended
that we have several institutions formally support
the Co-Host. The Board accepted that proposition,
and the following schools took on the responsibilities, including weekly meetings and resource
pledges: Case Western Reserve University, John
Carroll University, Kent State University, Tri-City
Community Colleges, University of Akron, and
Wright State University. Secondly, the Board –
after reviewing its conference template – created a
document to insure for the first time that the
ABCC retrieve a small portion of the participants’
registration for its ongoing operational expenses,
and so the annual conference will finally benefit
the organization. Dr. Williams supported this
ABCC decision in full, and it will become part of
our conference template for future Co-Hosts. The
Executive Director attended both of the regular
meetings, and became enthusiastic about the prospects of supporting Co-Hosts increasing resources
for and numbers at the conference.
Certainly, as important as these Co-Hosts
were those five new or revised initiatives mentioned above. The ABCC e-newsletter, which is put
on our web site at the middle of each month, has
gained considerable comment. With VicePresident, Todd McFadden of West Virginia, as
authorized point person, it has allowed monthly
communication from the organization. ABCC staff
members at Knox College, national headquarters,
have worked closely with McFadden, providing
some of the information each month. The VicePresident also has served as the primary force –
Volume 17, Issue 2
with ongoing support from national headquarters – for revising/expanding the Kuumba Programming Series, the ABCC independent
speakers bureau. If one looks at our website,
you will find a number of new speakers/
performers as well as many of our original
group. Our challenge is to help our institutional
members use this invaluable resource; we are
rethinking our traditional system of using
ABCC State Coordinators to assist national
headquarters in arranging engagements.
The genealogical project, which has been
in the making for some time, will officially be
launched right after the conference, so that
participants can use the Thanksgiving holiday
and early December to secure information from
family members, in order to start regular exchanges among all involved at the beginning of
the New Year. This project actually began at
North Carolina State University, and is now led
by Knox College. Some schools have already
committed to the project, and we anticipate
national involvement.
Our final new initiatives, the liberal arts
colleges’ membership drive and the autonomous ABCC web site, will surely pay enormous
dividends. At Knox College, we have work study
students, led by Johnathan Ebbers, looking at
all colleges of the Associated Colleges of the
Midwest (ACM) and the Great Lakes Colleges
Association (GLCA) to determine the kind of
Centers on those campuses and to invite them
to join us. Yes, there are already a number of
notable colleges involved in the organization,
including some who have joined recently and/
or have attended the national conference. But
we believe that more will generate more. The
autonomous web site will give the ABCC more
freedom in doing what it needs to do to grow,
including taking advantage of its non-profit, tax
-exempt status to attract funds without interfering with any college or university to which it
is connected.
So, even in the face of economic crises on
most college/university campuses, the ABCC is
growing and developing new initiatives to serve
its members. Beyond the above, our Board will
be discussing Center accreditation again, the
implications of the University of Iowa Centers’
analysis, completed recently by the Executive
Director, and our second book on Culture Centers. We shall also revisit our earlier discussions about a national arrangement for student
performance groups on all campuses. As we set
up a five-year plan for conference Co-Hosts and
organizational initiatives, join us and help us
move forward. Just one look at the sheer number of Centers on our website that are either
current members or affiliates will give you a
clear sense of where we can go.
Michelle Obama: First Lady
of Hope
By Elizabeth Lightfoot
The Lyons Press
Forced Into Glory: Abraham
Lincoln’s White Dream
By Lerone Bennett, Jr.
Johnson Publishing Company
Black Enough/White
Enough: The Obama Dilemma
By Rickey Hendon
Third World Press
More books on page 4
3
Multicultural Center on Campus Celebrates 20 Years
Featured in UMOJA Magazine
Submitted by Candace McDowell, Treasurer
Multicultural Student Center
University of Wisconsin-Madison
The Multicultural Student Center (MSC) at UW
Madison is celebrating its 20th anniversary this
year with a number of gala events. One of them
was a casual reception on the evening of September 11th in the MSC lounge which attracted students, faculty and staff.
The current MSC is housed in a venerable
Act Like a Lady, Think Like a
landmark, the Red
Man: What Men Really Think
Gym, in the heart of
About Love, Relationships, Inti- the campus. The Cenmacy, and Commitment
ter’s physical layout
consists of a 24 station
By Steve Harvey
computer lab, a readAmistad
ing room, a lounge,
study areas, conference room, lockers, 10
student organization
offices, six administrative offices and a small
kitchen. This outlay is
pretty generous compared to the 1988 Interim Multicultural
Center facility which
had a combined lounge
and library in one
room, one student organization office, two administrative offices and a five machine computer
lab.
On the academic side, students come to MSC
to study, for coaching in the writing center and to
seek advising through the Academic Advancement Program and the School of Education. Even
Lessons from Freedom Summer: Ordinary People Building students who are undecided about a major can
meet with outreach advisors at the Center. A sad
Extraordinary Movements
and frightening fact is that the enrollment of
By Kathy Emery, Linda Reid Gold,
Black students has not significantly increased.
and Sylvia Braselmann
On the networking side, students meet other
Common Courage Press
students regularly and plan cultural events. At
least 10 organizations have headquarters here,
including the AHANA Pre-health Society, the
Hmong American Student Association, the India
Student Association, La Colectiva, La Mujer
Latina, the Multicultural Student Coalition, Students Living Intercultural Experiences, Union
Puertorriquena, Wisconsin Black Student Union
and Wunk Sheek.
The significance of MSC sometimes gets lost in
the gigantic complexity of a 40,000 plus student
body, but for Candace McDowell, director of MSC
for the past 20 years, its significance is real.
―Hundreds of students testify that without having
a MSC, it would be difficult to connect with the
University. The Center became a little home for
them. Some place to go in between classes during
the day and after class in the evenings and on
weekends. It provided comfort on a mostly white
campus. It is not unusual for students to try to
Mongrel Nation: The America
find their niche through the Multicultural Student
Begotten by Thomas Jefferson Center. Many students of color make their initial
connection here through the study facilities, acaand Sally Hemings
demic resources or by attending social or cultural
By Clarence E. Walker
activities.‖ On any given day over 100 students
University of Virginia Press
utilize the Center for a variety of reasons.
The MSC started amidst controversy and its
remaining history has not been without curve
balls and unexpected twists. Its predecessor was
the Afro-American Center, first housed on Johnson and Charter Streets and later in a lemon yellow house in the 900 block of University Avenue,
currently occupied by the Grainger Hall Business
School. With university support, the AfroAmerican Center lasted from 1967 to 1972.
Through protesting bullhorns, leafleting, sidewalk
art and persistence, students know how to push
for their passion to come to fruition. By 1988, the
University agreed to establish a multicultural
center in the Memorial Union on the basis of the
Holley report–named
after a persistent student, Charles Holley,
who is now an attorney
living in Chicago. Students insisted that the
new center be called
the Interim Multicultural Center (IMCC) to
remind the university
that a permanent home
had been promised.
The permanent home
had its grand opening
in November 1998 on
the second floor of the
Red Gym and has been
a thriving place of interaction for students
ever since. After the move, the ―interim‖ part of
the name was dropped and was renamed the Multicultural Student Center.
Black, Latina, Asian, Native American, Hmong
students understand the need for the MSC. In
case skeptics do not, the MSC literature states
very clearly the rationale behind such a Center:
the MSC has provided an atmosphere to increase
the likelihood of academic achievement; to help
create a sense of belonging and well-being among
students of color; and to foster strong relationships with staff and faculty.‖ Throughout the Holley report runs the concept of isolation which is
counteracted by the presence of the Center. Another concept is addressing racism. In 1988, racism showed itself in blatant incidents on fraternity row, for example. Today racism is less blatant, but still present with an added element of
gender bias especially in housing facilities. In the
spring of 2008, Hmong students were surprised
and offended by a remark made by a law professor.
Candace has been the only director to steer the
Center’s ship. As an alumni of UW Madison
(class of 1973) and having worked in the original
Afro-American Center in the library, the Center
has deep meaning for her. ―I’ve learned so much
from students. First of all, I enjoy the interaction
with students. There is no limitations on their
thinking. They have taught me that you should
not limit yourself on the way things are done or
limit possibilities or say that you can’t do something without first trying. Students think in terms
of unlimited possibilities, just the opposite of
other adults.‖
Based on the infinite possibility of student
thinking, the MSC is likely to celebrate another
20, 30, 40 years in due time.
More books on page 5
4
Nommo
Preston Jackson Sculpts in Bronze to Honor 1908
Springfield Race Riots
By Preston Jackson
Sculptor/Painter
School of the Art Institute of Chicago
ABCC Kuumba Programming Series
This sculpture, created in cast bronze,
shows the remains of two chimneys from
burned-out buildings which can be seen in
photographs from the aftermath of the
1908 Race Riot.
The numerous relief bronze images on
the surfaces of the chimneys depict scenes
that occurred during and after the race
riot, as well as a march in New York City
symbolizing the formation of the NAACP
in response to the riot.
This is an extremely important piece—
my interest in it goes far beyond it being a
commission for which I have been sePreston Jackson with Springfield race riot sculptures across lected. In my view, confronting our past
straightforwardly is the only way we can
the street from the Abraham Lincoln Museum
learn to develop our future together. I have hopes that one effect
of this monument will be to put
into perspective the attitudes that
have made this country great—the
same attitudes that caused the
State of Illinois and the City of
Springfield to choose to build this
memorial.
(Above and right) Front and side
views of Jackson’s 1908 Springfield race riot chimneys
(Left) Photo from the
actual race riot of
1908, and the chimneys left standing that
inspired the design of
Jackson's sculpture
The Association for Black Culture Centers (ABCC) is an organization that seeks to celebrate, promote and critically
examine the culture of people of
African descent, through the
institutionalizing of Black and
Multicultural Centers to enhance individual, community
and global development.
An association of more than 700
members and affiliates in all
fifty states.
An association founded in 1987
by Dr. Fred Lee Hord, then at
West Virginia.
An association that sponsors
annual national conferences.
ABCC Benefits:
Networking information
Kuumba Programming Series
Access to the ABCC database
List of Black Culture Centers
Bibliographies on Black history/
culture
Sample proposal outlines for
starting a Center
Subscription to NOMMO, the
ABCC newsletter
Discount on copy of the ABCC
monograph on Centers
Discounts from video and film
companies
Registration discounts for the
ABCC national conference
Discounts from book publishers
Accreditation
Web site links and cultural information
Mission of ABCC:
(Above) President Barack
Photos and article
courtesy of Joy Obama shown as a drum major
in a march shortly following
Kessler
the founding of the NAACP
Do you wish to be added to the ABCC List-serve?
Please visit the ABCC website at
www.abcc.net
Follow the link to provide information so you can receive regular updates
about conferences, newsletters, and other workings of the ABCC. Join now!
Volume 17, Issue 2
What is ABCC?
ABCC supports the work of culture
centers through student and professional development, cultural relevant program assistance, curricular
and co-curricular enrichment, community outreach and engagement,
scholarship on culture centers and
advocacy.
ABCC/Nommo would like to thank Monica
Prince and Greg Flores of Flores Printers for
the creation and publication of this newsletter.
Flores Printers, Galesburg, IL
Ph: 309-341-1303
Fax: 309-341-2477
5
ABCC 2009 Board of
ABCC Genealogical Project
Directors
Launched at Knox College, fall 2009
Nathaniel Banks
Ex-Officio
University of Illinois at Urbana
Campus Community Interface Initiatives
Champaign, IL 61820
217-333-9525
Tashia L. Bradley
Secretary
Berea College
Black Cultural Center
Berea, KY 40404
859-985-3797
Charles Brown
Indiana State University
African American Cultural Center
Terre Haute, IN 47809
812-237-3811
Dr. Frank Dobson
Vanderbilt University
Bishop Joseph Johnson Black Cultural Center
Nashville, TN 37235
615-322-2524
Dr. Francis Dorsey
Ex-Officio
Kent State University
Department of Pan-African Culture
Studies
Kent, OH 44242
330-672-0151
Chester Grundy
University of Kentucky
555 Patterson Office Tower
Lexington, KY 40506
859-257-5641
Dr. Tim Lake
Griot
Wabash College
The Malcolm X Institute
Crawfordsville, IN 47933
765-361-6384
Candace McDowell
Treasurer
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Multicultural Student Center
Madison, WI 53706
608-262-0285
Todd McFadden
Vice President
West Virginia University
Center for Black Culture and Research
Morgantown, WV 26506
304-293-7029
Dr. Jennifer Williams-Molock
University of Utah
Salt Lake City, UT 84112
801-581-7569
(Continued on page 7)
6
Compiled by ABCC Student Assistants and Dr. Hord
In the spring of this year, Knox College, national headquarters of the ABCC, brought in Mr.
Ross Wilburn, first and only former Black mayor of Iowa City and member of President Obama’s
campaign team, to introduce the ABCC genealogical initiative to be launched later this month.
This project is broader than a Black family tree, and we hope that all ABCC institutional members will be involved. Below is the current list of print and electronic resources for the project,
and we request that all interested e-mail their contact information to Terry Duffy, the ABCC Executive Assistant, at [email protected]. We need to have this information so that we can announce the participants at our November 5-8 National Conference at Cleveland State University.
The plan is to send guidelines to everyone who has signed up, so that family research can be done
during the Thanksgiving break.
Partial List of Print and Electronic Resources for ABCC Genealogical Project
Ancestry.com. Lite Family Tree Maker. Ancestry.com, 2008.
Program documentation.
Ancestors, Episode 7: African-American Families. Perf. Jim
Willard, Terry Willard, Collette De Verge, Tony Burroughs.
VHS. PBS Video, 1997.
Anderson, Andy. How to Find Your Family History. Program
documentation. Vers. 2004. Wells Fargo & Company, 2004.
Barksdale-Hall, Roland, ed. Healing Is the Children's Bread.
Sharon: Barksdale-Hall Educational Services Training, 1999.
Beasley, Donna. Family Pride: The Complete Guide to Tracing
African-American Genealogy. New York: Macmillan, 1997.
Blockson, Charles L. Black Genealogy. Baltimore: Black Classic P,
1991.
Burroughs, Tony. Black Roots: The Beginner's Guide to Tracing
the African American Family Tree. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2001.
Davis, Thulani. My Confederate Kinfolk: A Twenty-First Century
Johnson, Anne E. Student's Guide to African American
Genealogy. Phoenix: Oryx P, 1996.
McClure, Rhonda. The Complete Idiot's Guide to Online
Genealogy. Indianapolis: Alpha, 1999.
"Oprah's Roots." African American Lives. PBS: Public
Broadcasting Station. New York City. Feb. 2006.
Otterson, Michael. Finding Your Family on the Internet:
The Ultimate Guide to Online Family History Research.
New York: Silverleaf, 2006.
Scruggs, Afi-Odelia E. Claiming Kin: Confronting the History of an African American Family. New York: St.
Martin's Publishing, 2002.
Thackery, David T. Finding Your African-American Ancestors: A Beginner's Guide. Orem: Ancestry, 2000.
Washington-Williams, Essie Mae. Dear Senator: A Memoir
by the Daughter of Strom Thurmond. New York: Regan
Books, 2005.
Freedwoman Confronts Her Roots. New York: Basic Civitas,
Willard, Jim. Ancestors. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1997.
2006.
Willis, Deborah. Family, History, and Memory: Recording
Eichholz, Alice and James M. Rose. Black Genesis. Detroit: Gale
Research Co., 1978.
African-American Life. Grand Rapids: Hylas, 2005.
Woodtor, Dee. Finding a Place Called Home: A Guide to
Family Historian #21: African-American Genealogy. VHS.
African-American Genealogy and Historical Identity.
Family Tree Maker. Program documentation. Vers. 2008. The
New York: Random House, 1999.
Generations Network, 2007.
Gates, Henry Louis Jr. Finding Oprah's Roots, Finding Your Own.
New York: Crown, 2007.
As another valuable resource, we will also be using Family
Tree Magazine: recent articles include information on the
ancestry of African Americans, American Indians, Immigrants, and those of Jewish heritage.
Howell, Barbara Thompson. How to Trace Your African-American
Roots: Discovering Your Unique History. Secaucus: Carol Publications Group, 1999.
Jamison, Sandra Lee. Finding Your People: An African-American
Guide to Discovering Your Roots. New York: Perigee Books,
1999.
Nommo
Africana Center celebrates 40th anniversary
ABCC 2009 Board of
Directors
By Katrina Moore, M. Ed. Director
Africana Center
Tufts University
Dr. Willena Kimpson-Price
President
University of Connecticut
H. Fred Simons African American Cultural
The Africana Center at Tufts University will be celebrating its 40th Anniversary with a Gala
Center
Dinner on February 20, 2010 to commemorate the rich history of the Center. We will be cele- Storrs, CT 06269
brating with the theme: ―Our Past, Our Future: Honoring Forty Years of Leadership 860-486-4901
& Service‖ and will recognize students, faculty and staff, alumni and local community partners for their outstanding contributions to raising the social consciousness of the Africana
community.
Dr. A.J. Stovall
Rust College
Holly Springs, MS 38635
601-252-8000
Dr. Lonnie R. Williams
Ex-Officio
Arkansas State University
St. University, AR 72467
870-972-3355
Renown Poet’s New Collection Reflects Life’s Work
Courtesy of Third World Press
In Swahili, the name Haki means "just" or "justice," and Madhubuti means "precise, accurate
and dependable," so it is no surprise that Haki Madhubuti has long been a pivotal figure in
the development of a strong Black literary tradition, emerging
from the Civil Rights and Black Arts era of the 1960s and continuing to the present.
Larry Williamson, Jr.
Ohio State University
Frank W. Hale Jr. Black Cultural Center
Columbus, OH 43210
614-292-0074
ABCC Staff
Terry Duffy
Executive Assistant
Association for Black Culture Centers
Knox College
―Art and literature are dependable and powerful weapons in the 309-341-7862
struggle for social equality,‖ he says, ―The best way to stop the
brothers from being destructive is to reawaken their creative
spirit.‖
Madhubuti has published more than 28 books (some under his
former name, Don L. Lee) and is one of the world’s best-selling
authors of poetry and non-fiction. His Black Men: Obsolete,
Single, Dangerous?: The African American Family in Transition
(1990) has sold more than 1 million copies. Dr. Madhubuti’s
newest release, Liberation Narratives: New and Collected Poems 1966-2009, spans the work of his entire career.
Liberation Narratives: New
and Collected Poems 19662009
by Haki R. Madhubuti
―This book represents my life’s work,‖ says Dr. Madhubuti of
the 450-page collection of more
Dr. Haki Madhubuti
than three decades of his disKuumba Programming Series
tinctive poetry.
Spanning a long career, these
poems helped define and sustain a movement that added music and brash street language to traditional poetics. From the
angry calls to action from his earlier work, to spoken-word
poetry (which recently garnered the author a Grammy nomination) and ―message‖ poetry aimed at community healing,
Liberation Narratives offers a complete collection of the author’s poetic journey through a troubled time in America.
A protégé of the late Pulitzer-Prize winning poet Gwendolyn
Brooks, with whom he shared a long friendship, Dr. Madhubuti successfully transformed from poet-activist to modernday visionary and continues to challenge the status quo in
pursuit of justice and peace and advocates for the necessity of
art in a violent and discouraging world.
Volume 17, Issue 2
Dr. Fred Hord
Executive Director
Association for Black Culture Centers
Knox College
309-341-7224
Web Site Master
Donnie Forti
Webmaster
WAOW/WYOW Television
Wausau, WI 54403
262-339-4725
ABCC Student Staff
Knox College
309-341-7996
Rebecca Beno
Alsip, IL
[email protected]
Johnathan Ebbers
Campagna di Maniago, Italy
[email protected]
Lisa Marquardt
Drangstedt, Germany
[email protected]
Monica Prince
Denver, CO
[email protected]
7
Association For Black Culture Centers
National Headquarters
2 East South Street, K-173
Galesburg, IL 61401-4999
Ph: 309-341-7862 Fax: 309-347-7079
www.abcc.net
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associate. If the addressee is no longer employed, please forward to his/her
replacement. Email [email protected] to update your record.
Attention Mail Room Personnel — Please re-route if necessary!
Fred L. Hord, Ph. D
Executive Director/Founder
Phone: 309-341-7224
Fax: 309-341-7079
Web: http://www.abcc.net
Terry L. Duffy
Executive Assistant
Phone: 309-341-7862
Fax: 309-341-7079
Email: [email protected]