Archive - History of Black Writing Blog
The Banner image for the HBW Blog, which was published from 2011-2021.
Black Literary History Making
The HBW Blog published regularly for ten years from 2011-2021 at the URL https://projecthbw.ku.edu. During that time, it served as a major forum for the exchange of information and ideas, as well as a robust network for scholars, teachers, and students from different disciplines around the world.
Guest contributors include leading scholars and writers, but most of the posts were conceived of, researched, and written by HBW's staff of undergraduate and graduate students. Its content consists of feature editorials, book reviews, memorials, and coverage of HBW programming. Altogether, 95 writers contributed more than 750 posts.
The HBW Blog Archive is searchable by topic, month and year, and contributor name.
| Blog Post/Link | Date |
|---|---|
| Richard Wright’s ‘Black Boy’ Celebrates 75th Anniversary On Tuesday, February 18, Harper Perennial released a new edition of Richard Wright’s classic memoir Black Boy to commemorate the 75th anniversary of that work’s publication. The coming-of-age story, originally published in 1945, chronicles Wright’s upbringing in the Jim Crow South, his eventual move to Chicago and evolution as a major writer through his involvement with the Communist Party. Black Boy explores the ubiquitous concepts of racism, segregation and poverty... | |
| 4 Black Woman-Authored Books That Are Turning 50 This Year Following the Civil Rights Movement era of the 1960’s, the 1970’s ushered in a new decade of change for Black people in the United States. However, the beginning of the decade witnessed Black female authors exploring ideas like race and gender that were heavily contested in the 1960’s. In fact, some celebrated Black female writers launched their legendary literary careers in 1970. Thus, here’s a list of Black woman-authored books that are celebrating their fiftieth anniversary this year: .. | |
| In Memoriam: Kamau Brathwaite The Project on the History of Black Writing mourns the passing of Kamau Brathwaite. The Barbadian poet and academic was 89 when he died in his home on Tuesday, February 4. Brathwaite’s writing mainly celebrated Caribbean voices and greatly contributed to the Caribbean’s literary landscape. Born in Bridgetown, Bahamas in 1930, Brathwaite’s poems examined African roots in the Caribbean, affirming the Afro-Caribbean identity and amplifying their experiences. .. | |
| Zero-Tolerance Policies and Its Contributions to Systematic Racism In a rapidly changing education system, it can often be difficult to pinpoint if society is progressing or deteriorating. Behind institutionalized racism lies long-term consequences that studies show adolescents may carry with them for the rest of their lives. .. | |
| The Association of African-American Museums Conference, Roots of Revolution: Reaching Back | Pushing Forward | |
| How Craft Makes Meaning: ‘Queen & Slim’ Articulates a Powerful Message through Excellent Use of Devices The film A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, which chronicles the life of television icon Fred Rogers (aka Mister Rogers), reminded me that the “what” or the “subject” of art is equally as important as the “how” or the “crafting” of it. However, what gives Queen and Slim its power and beauty is the manner in which Lena Waithe and Melina Matsoukas seamlessly and eloquently blend the fantastical with the real and tangible to create an ode to Blackness that causes viewers to love and investigate Black culture and its struggle to exist and thrive... | |
| “My Professor’s Workshops “-A Tribute to Gerald Barrax I need to visit those who weigh heavily on my mind. As a result of the progression of years and the busyness of daily living, I don’t always get the opportunity to reach out. For the past two or three months, however, I have constantly considered stopping by my former poetry professor’s house, which is only about eight minutes from mine. My former professor Gerald W. Barrax, one of my mentors, is always teaching me. In fact, I return to his poetry books from time to time, because they unfold with courage, grace, hope, intelligence, music, and power. In the waxing and waning of time, of course, I know it doesn’t slow for me or anybody else. After all, a person has limited time. .. | |
| Furious Flower 25th Celebration: Day Two Portia Owusu, Ph.D., Visiting Assistant Professor / ACES Fellow of English in the Department of English at Texas A&M University: The second day of the celebration demonstrated the community aspect of the Furious Flower Center since activities involved both invited guests and the general public. The day begins with a tour of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC). .. | |
| BlacKKKlansman and the Resurgence of Hate: Kevin Willmott On October 24th, 2019, Oscar award-winning director, screenwriter, and KU Film and Media Studies Professor, Kevin Willmott, delivered the 2019 Bill Tuttle Distinguished Lecture in American Studies. Established in 2008, the Tuttle Lecture honors the teaching legacy of Professor Emeritus Bill Tuttle, who taught in KU’s American Studies department, and focuses on his main research interests which include African-American history and culture and American politics... | |
| Furious Flower 25th Anniversary Celebration: Day One Furious Flower Poetry Center has been at the forefront of Black poetry for 25 years. As the nation’s first academic center for Black poetry, Furious Flower was founded on the campus of James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia, and born out of a 1994 poetry festival titled “Furious Flower: A Revolution in African American Poetry,” organized by scholar Joanne Gabbin. .. |