{"id":9365,"date":"2021-03-09T00:27:51","date_gmt":"2021-03-09T00:27:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/centerforblackliterature.org\/?page_id=9365"},"modified":"2021-10-30T16:53:35","modified_gmt":"2021-10-30T16:53:35","slug":"nbwc-2021-program","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/centerforblackliterature.org\/nbwc-2021-program\/","title":{"rendered":"NBWC 2021 Program"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/centerforblackliterature.org\/\" target=\"_self\" itemprop=\"url\" rel=\"noopener\">\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/centerforblackliterature.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/logo-cbl-1.png\" alt=\"center for black literature\" itemprop=\"image\" height=\"261\" width=\"500\" title=\"center for black literature\" onerror=\"this.style.display='none'\"  \/>\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t   \t<ul id=\"menu-main\"><li id=\"menu-item-9393\"><a href=\"\/mission-statement\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"link\">About<\/a>\n<ul>\n\t<li id=\"menu-item-9382\"><a href=\"https:\/\/centerforblackliterature.org\/mission-statement\/\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"link\">Mission Statement<\/a><\/li>\n\t<li id=\"menu-item-9381\"><a href=\"https:\/\/centerforblackliterature.org\/what-we-do\/\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"link\">What We Do<\/a><\/li>\n\t<li id=\"menu-item-9391\"><a href=\"https:\/\/centerforblackliterature.org\/testimonials\/\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"link\">Testimonials<\/a><\/li>\n\t<li id=\"menu-item-9392\"><a href=\"https:\/\/centerforblackliterature.org\/founder\/\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"link\">The Founder<\/a><\/li>\n\t<li id=\"menu-item-9390\"><a href=\"https:\/\/centerforblackliterature.org\/staff\/\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"link\">Staff and Affiliated Faculty<\/a><\/li>\n\t<li id=\"menu-item-9389\"><a href=\"https:\/\/centerforblackliterature.org\/sponsors-partners\/\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"link\">Sponsors, Partners, and Supporters<\/a><\/li>\n\t<li id=\"menu-item-10149\"><a href=\"https:\/\/centerforblackliterature.org\/donate\/\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"link\">Donate to CBL<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li id=\"menu-item-9383\"><a href=\"https:\/\/centerforblackliterature.org\/nbwc\/\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"link\">NBWC<\/a>\n<ul>\n\t<li id=\"menu-item-9394\"><a href=\"\/nbwc\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"link\">NBWC Overview<\/a><\/li>\n\t<li id=\"menu-item-9384\"><a href=\"https:\/\/centerforblackliterature.org\/nbwc-2021-program\/\" aria-current=\"page\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"link\">NBWC 2021 Program<\/a><\/li>\n\t<li id=\"menu-item-9385\"><a href=\"https:\/\/centerforblackliterature.org\/nbwc-faq\/\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"link\">NBWC FAQ<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li id=\"menu-item-9970\"><a href=\"https:\/\/centerforblackliterature.org\/events\/\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"link\">Events<\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"menu-item-10140\"><a href=\"#\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"link\">Programs<\/a>\n<ul>\n\t<li id=\"menu-item-10014\"><a href=\"https:\/\/centerforblackliterature.org\/monthly-book-club\/\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"link\">Monthly Book Club<\/a><\/li>\n\t<li id=\"menu-item-10013\"><a href=\"https:\/\/centerforblackliterature.org\/dr-edith-rock-writing-workshop-for-elders\/\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"link\">Elders Writing Workshop<\/a><\/li>\n\t<li id=\"menu-item-10108\"><a href=\"https:\/\/centerforblackliterature.org\/introduction-to-fiction\/\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"link\">Writing Workshop<\/a><\/li>\n\t<li id=\"menu-item-10012\"><a href=\"https:\/\/centerforblackliterature.org\/wild-seeds-writers-retreat\/\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"link\">Wild Seeds Writers Retreat<\/a><\/li>\n\t<li id=\"menu-item-10011\"><a href=\"https:\/\/centerforblackliterature.org\/re-envisioning-our-lives-through-literature\/\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"link\">Re-Envisioning Our Lives through Literature (R.O.L.L.) Program<\/a><\/li>\n\t<li id=\"menu-item-10010\"><a href=\"https:\/\/centerforblackliterature.org\/john-oliver-killens-reading-series\/\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"link\">John Oliver Killens Reading Series<\/a><\/li>\n\t<li id=\"menu-item-10109\"><a href=\"https:\/\/centerforblackliterature.org\/writers-on-writing\/\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"link\">Writers on Writing Radio Program<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li id=\"menu-item-10143\"><a href=\"#\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"link\">Publications<\/a>\n<ul>\n\t<li id=\"menu-item-10142\"><a href=\"https:\/\/centerforblackliterature.org\/killens-review-of-arts-letters\/\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"link\">Killens Review of Arts &#038; Letters<\/a><\/li>\n\t<li id=\"menu-item-10141\"><a href=\"https:\/\/centerforblackliterature.org\/tales-of-our-times-anthology\/\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"link\">Tales of Our Times (Anthology)<\/a><\/li>\n\t<li id=\"menu-item-10537\"><a href=\"https:\/\/centerforblackliterature.org\/musings\/\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"link\">Musings (Student Blog)<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li id=\"menu-item-9379\"><a href=\"https:\/\/centerforblackliterature.org\/contact\/\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"link\">Contact Us<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\t\t<h2>\n\t\t\tNBWC 2021 Program\n\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/centerforblackliterature.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/nbcw.jpg\" alt=\"nbcw\" itemprop=\"image\" height=\"732\" width=\"1300\" title=\"nbcw\" onerror=\"this.style.display='none'\"  \/>\n\t<p><strong>&#8220;They Cried I Am: The Life and Work of Paule Marshall and John A. Williams, Unsung Black Literary Voices&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\nSaturday, March 27, 2021<br \/>\n<strong>11:00 a.m. &#8211; 7:00 p.m. ET<\/strong><br \/>\nPresented Virtually (via Zoom)\n<p>The 2021 <strong>National Black Writers Conference Biennial Symposium<\/strong>, &#8220;They Cried I Am: The Life and Work of Paule Marshall and John A. Williams, Unsung Black Literary Voices,&#8221; will celebrate the life and works of the late <strong>Paule Marshall<\/strong> and the late <strong>John A. Williams<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Featured program highlights will include a keynote address, roundtable discussions, and dramatic readings. Confirmed speakers include <strong>Carole Boyce-Davies<\/strong>, <strong>Edwidge Danticat<\/strong>, <strong>Keith Gilyard<\/strong>, <strong>Maryemma Graham<\/strong>, <strong>Michael Anthony Green<\/strong>, <strong>Lawrence Jackson<\/strong>, <strong>Evan Marshall<\/strong>, <strong>Liza Jessie Peterson<\/strong>, <strong>Ishmael Reed<\/strong>, <strong>Linda Villarosa<\/strong>, <strong>Mary Helen Washington<\/strong>, <strong>Adam Williams<\/strong>, and <strong>Jamia Wilson<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Tulivu-Donna Cumberbatch and Seasoned Elegance<\/strong> will offer a special jazz performance.<\/p>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/centerforblackliterature.org\/2021-nbwc-biennial-symposium-program\/\" role=\"button\" target=\"_self\" onclick=\"\" rel=\"noopener\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tProgram Schedule\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.eventbrite.com\/e\/2021-national-black-writers-conference-biennial-symposium-tickets-139722635163\" role=\"button\" target=\"_blank\" onclick=\"\" rel=\"noopener\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tRegistration\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<h2>\n\t\t\tNBWC2021 Speakers and Participants\n\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\t<p>(click picture to see bio)<\/p>\t\t\n\t<a href=\"#\" id=\"trigger-\" data-modal=\"\" data-node=\"\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/centerforblackliterature.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/DrBoyceDavies.jpg\" alt=\"DrBoyceDavies\" \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\tPreview\n\t\t\tmodal-\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>Carole Boyce-Davies<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><strong>Carole Boyce-Davies<\/strong>\u00a0is the Frank H. T. Rhodes Professor of Humane Letters and professor of Africana Studies and English at Cornell University. She is the author of the prize-winning\u00a0<em>Left of Karl Marx: The Political Life of Black Communist Claudia Jones\u00a0<\/em>(2008); the classic\u00a0<em>Black Women, Writing and Identity: Migrations of the Subject\u00a0<\/em><u>(<\/u>1994);\u00a0<em>Caribbean Spaces: Escape Routes from Twilight Zones<\/em>\u00a0(2013) on the internalization of Caribbean culture; and a bilingual children&#8217;s story\u00a0<em>Walking<\/em>\/<em>An Avan<\/em>\u00a0(2016\/2017) in Haitian Kreyol and English distributed as part of an educational project in Haiti by the Kellogg Foundation. In addition to more than a hundred essays, articles published in major professional journals, Dr. Boyce-Davies has also published 13 critical editions on African, African diaspora, and Caribbean literature and culture such as the two-volume collection of critical and creative writing\u00a0<em>Moving Beyond Boundaries<\/em>\u00a0(1995<em>)<\/em>;\u00a0<em>International Dimensions of Black Women&#8217;s Writing\u00a0<\/em>(volume 1),\u00a0<em>Black Women&#8217;s Diasporas<\/em>\u00a0(volume 2); the three-volume<em>\u00a0Encyclopedia of the African Diaspora\u00a0<\/em>(Oxford: ABC-CLIO, 2008); and\u00a0<em>Claudia Jones<\/em>\u00a0<em>Beyond Containment: Autobiographical Reflections, Poetry, Essays\u00a0<\/em>(2011).<\/p>\n<p>A member of the scientific committee for UNESCO&#8217;s updated\u00a0<em>General<\/em>\u00a0<em>History<\/em>\u00a0<em>of<\/em>\u00a0<em>Africa<\/em>, she edited the epistemological forum on &#8220;Global Blackness&#8221; for the African diaspora volume and is a member of the Scientific Committee of the African Humanities Forum (based in Mali). Her current research project is a contracted manuscript titled\u00a0<em>Alternative Presidents: \u00a0Black Women and Political Leadership<\/em>\u00a0(2021). She is a past president of the Caribbean Studies Association, which organized under her leadership the first CSA Conference in Haiti in 2016.<\/p>\n\t<p>Carole Boyce-Davies<\/p>\n\t<a href=\"#\" id=\"trigger-\" data-modal=\"\" data-node=\"\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/centerforblackliterature.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Tulivu-Donna-Cumberbatch.jpeg\" alt=\"Tulivu-Donna-Cumberbatch\" \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\tPreview\n\t\t\tmodal-\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>Tulivu-Donna Cumberbatch<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><strong>Tulivu-Donna Cumberbatch<\/strong>\u00a0is a native of Brooklyn, New York.\u00a0 She is the daughter of the great baritone saxophonist Harold Cumberbatch. He named her Donna Lynn after Miles Davis&#8217;s composition &#8220;Donna Lee,&#8221; made famous by Charlie Parker. The stage was set for her musical voyage. Tulivu is a name taken from Tanzania, which translates to peaceful, tranquil, and serene.<\/p>\n<p>Ms. Cumberbatch studied music formally at Manhattan Community College and Herbert H. Lehman College. Informally, she listened and learned first and foremost from her mother as well as from her mentors, Sarah Vaughan, Carmen McRae, Ella Fitzgerald, Nancy Wilson, and other masters. Cumberbatch has toured extensively in such places as the Caribbean, Europe, Russia Canada, Japan, Ghana in West Africa, and the United States.<\/p>\n<p>She has worked extensively with trumpeter Hannibal Lokumbe (formally Hannibal Peterson) as the featured vocalist.\u00a0 She has performed two of his symphonies, &#8220;Children of the Fire&#8221; and &#8220;Flames of South Africa.&#8221;\u00a0 She has also performed his suite &#8220;Fannie Lou Hamer&#8221; with the Kronos Quartet and his ensemble piece &#8220;Love Poems to God&#8221; with dancer\/choreographer Dianne McIntyre. Other artists with whom Ms. Cumberbatch have worked with are: John Hicks, The Brooklyn Philharmonic Orchestra, Donald Smith, Onaje-Allan Gumbs, Anthony Wonsey, Diedre Murray, Winard Harper, Stanley Banks, Curtis Lundy, Lonnie Plaxico, Steve Wilson, Andy Bey, and Romero Lubambo to name a few. She currently works with her own trio, Seasoned Elegance, and the Harlem Renaissance Orchestra as well as freelance with other artists.<\/p>\n<p>Ms. Cumberbatch has won numerous awards for her outstanding performances in the entertainment field. The awards were given to her by the New York City Parks and Recreation Department, the Brooklyn Borough President&#8217;s Office, the Brooklyn District Attorney&#8217;s Office the Fresh Fruit Festival, and the Central Brooklyn Jazz Consortium.<\/p>\n<p>Ms. Cumberbatch has taught music in the public schools in NYC and at the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music for twelve years. Ms. Cumberbatch has six recordings under her name. The new recording,\u00a0<em>Peace, Love and Blessings<\/em>, is a single co-written and produced with musician Elliot Baron. It is a duet with longtime bassist Rachiim Ausar-Sahu. She can also be heard on numerous other recordings. She has been compared to Sarah Vaughan, Carmen McRae, and Gloria Lynne but clearly exhibits her own unique enchanting soulful style.<\/p>\n\t<p>Tulivu-Donna Cumberbatch<\/p>\n\t<a href=\"#\" id=\"trigger-\" data-modal=\"\" data-node=\"\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/centerforblackliterature.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Edwidge-Danticat.jpg\" alt=\"Edwidge-Danticat\" \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\tPreview\n\t\t\tmodal-\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>Edwidge Danticat<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><strong>Edwidge Danticat<\/strong>\u00a0is the author of several books, including\u00a0<em>Breath, Eyes, Memory,<\/em>\u00a0<em>Krik? Krak!<\/em>,\u00a0<em>The Farming of Bones<\/em>,\u00a0<em>The Dew Breaker<\/em>, and\u00a0<em>Everything Inside: Stories<\/em>. She is the editor of\u00a0<em>The Butterfly&#8217;s Way: Voices from the Haitian Diaspora in the United States<\/em>, and\u00a0<em>Haiti Noir<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0<em>Haiti Noir 2<\/em>. She has written seven books for young adults and children,\u00a0as well as a travel narrative,\u00a0<em>After the Dance: A Walk Through Carnival in Jacmel<\/em>. Her memoir\u00a0<em>Brother, I&#8217;m Dying\u00a0<\/em>was a National Book Award finalist in 2007 and a National Book Critics Circle Award winner for autobiography. She is a\u00a0two-time winner of The Story Prize, a\u00a02009 MacArthur Fellow, and winner of the 2018 Neustadt Prize for Literature.<\/p>\n\t<p>Edwidge Danticat<\/p>\n\t<a href=\"#\" id=\"trigger-\" data-modal=\"\" data-node=\"\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/centerforblackliterature.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Wallace-Ford.jpg\" alt=\"Wallace-Ford\" \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\tPreview\n\t\t\tmodal-\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>Wallace L. Ford<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><strong>Wallace L. Ford<\/strong>\u00a0teaches in the Department of Public Administration at Medgar Evers College, CUNY. Professor Ford&#8217;s highly trafficked Point of View contemporary commentary blog\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewallaceford.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">www.thewallaceford.com<\/a>\u00a0is now read in more than 60 countries. He is also a frequent commentator on political issues on television and radio. Ford has lectured and spoken at conferences throughout the United States and at various venues throughout the world. Ford has also published two novels,\u00a0<em>The Pride<\/em>\u00a0(2005) and\u00a0<em>What You Sow<\/em>\u00a0(2007), and he is a regular co<\/p>\n\t<p>Wallace L. Ford<\/p>\n\t<a href=\"#\" id=\"trigger-\" data-modal=\"\" data-node=\"\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/centerforblackliterature.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Maryemma-Graham.jpeg\" alt=\"Maryemma-Graham\" \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\tPreview\n\t\t\tmodal-\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>Maryemma Graham<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><strong>Maryemma Graham<\/strong>\u00a0is University Distinguished Professor in English at the University of Kansas and in 2020 she received the Chancellor&#8217;s Club Teaching Award. In 1983, she founded The Project on the History of Black Writing [<a href=\"https:\/\/hbw.ku.edu\/\">https:\/\/hbw.ku.edu\/<\/a>], the longest-running documentary and literary archival\/recovery project focusing on collaborative research, scholarship, and digital humanities. She has published 12 books in the U.S. and internationally, including\u00a0<em>Mobile and Entangled Americas<\/em>,\u00a0<em>Au del\u00e0 du visible ordinaire\u00a0<\/em>\/<em>Beyond the Ordinary Visible: Essays on Toni Morrison<\/em>, and\u00a0<em>The Cambridge History of African American Literature<\/em>. \u00a0Graham&#8217;s biography\u00a0<em>The House Where My Soul Lives: The Life of Margaret Walker\u00a0<\/em>is forthcoming from Oxford University Press.<\/p>\n\t<p>Maryemma Graham<\/p>\n\t<a href=\"#\" id=\"trigger-\" data-modal=\"\" data-node=\"\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/centerforblackliterature.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Keith-Gilyard.jpg\" alt=\"Keith-Gilyard\" \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\tPreview\n\t\t\tmodal-\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>Keith Gilyard<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Born and raised in New York City,\u00a0<strong>Keith Gilyard<\/strong>\u00a0began publishing his work in the early 1970s when he was participating in writing workshops at the Langston Hughes Library &amp; Cultural Center in Queens. Gilyard is the author or editor of 25 books including\u00a0<em>True to the Language Game: African American Discourses,\u00a0Cultural Politics, and Pedagogy<\/em>\u00a0(Routledge, 2011) and\u00a0<em>John Oliver Killens: A Life of Black Literary Activism<\/em>\u00a0(University of Georgia Press, 2010). He is a two-time recipient of an American Book Award and served on the faculties of Medgar Evers College, CUNY (where he helped to launch the National Black Writers Conference), and Syracuse University. He is currently the Edwin Erle Sparks Professor of English and African American Studies at Penn State.<\/p>\n\t<p>Keith Gilyard<\/p>\n\t<a href=\"#\" id=\"trigger-\" data-modal=\"\" data-node=\"\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/centerforblackliterature.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Michael-Green.jpg\" alt=\"Michael-Green\" \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\tPreview\n\t\t\tmodal-\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>Michael Anthony Green<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><strong>Michael Anthony Green<\/strong>\u00a0has received critical praise for his ongoing portrayal of Dr. King in Jeff Stetson&#8217;s\u00a0<em>The Meeting<\/em>\u00a0at the Schomburg Center, national and tristate area venues. Outstanding credits include Esther Armah&#8217;s\u00a0<em>Savior<\/em>\u00a0(Dwyer Cultural Center),\u00a0<em>Blues for an Alabama Sky<\/em>\u00a0(Our Place Theatre),\u00a0<em>A Lesson Before Dying<\/em>\u00a0(New Repertory Theatre),\u00a0<em>The Blacks<\/em>\u00a0(Classical Theatre of Harlem),\u00a0<em>Blues Train<\/em>\u00a0(National Black Theatre), and\u00a0<em>Camp Logan<\/em>\u00a0(Victoria Five Theatre).<\/p>\n<p>As producer\/director of Shades of Truth Theatre for the past 16 years, Michael Green is committed to presenting a positive theater that is provocative, educational, and entertaining. He has written and produced\u00a0<em>Whistle in Mississippi: The Lynching of Emmett Till<\/em>,\u00a0<em>MLK: If He Had Sneezed<\/em>,<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>and\u00a0<em>Barbara Jordan: I Dared to Be Me<\/em>\u00a0in collaboration with Voza Rivers\/ New Heritage Theatre Group. He also collaborated with Voza Rivers to produce Celeste Bedford Walker&#8217;s\u00a0<em>Black Wall Street<\/em>,<em>\u00a0Camp Logan<\/em>, and\u00a0<em>The Meeting<\/em>\u00a0at various venues and institutions in New York and the tristate area.<\/p>\n\t<p>Michael Anthony Green<\/p>\n\t<a href=\"#\" id=\"trigger-\" data-modal=\"\" data-node=\"\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/centerforblackliterature.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Donna-Hill_-150x150.jpeg\" alt=\"Donna-Hill_\" \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\tPreview\n\t\t\tmodal-\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>Donna Hill<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><strong>Donna Hill<\/strong>, whose latest book is\u00a0<em>Confessions in B-Flat<\/em>, has more than 80 published titles to her credit since her first novel was released in 1990. She is one of the early pioneers of the African American romance genre. Three of her novels have been adapted for television. Her awards include The Career Achievement Award, The Trailblazer Award, The Zora Neale Hurston Literary Award, and The Gold Pen Award. Hill is a graduate of Goddard College (MFA). She is an assistant professor of Professional Writing at Medgar Evers College. More information can be found at\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.donnaohill.com.\/\">www.donnaohill.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n\t<p>Donna Hill<\/p>\n\t<a href=\"#\" id=\"trigger-\" data-modal=\"\" data-node=\"\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/centerforblackliterature.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Lawrence-P-Jackson.jpg\" alt=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\tPreview\n\t\t\tmodal-\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>Lawrence P. Jackson<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><strong>Lawrence P. Jackson<\/strong>\u00a0is the author of the award-winning books\u00a0<em>Chester B. Himes: A Biography\u00a0<\/em>(W.W. Norton, 2017),\u00a0<em>The Indignant Generation: A Narrative History of African American Writers and Critics\u00a0<\/em>(Princeton, 2010),\u00a0<em>My Father&#8217;s Name: A Black Virginia Family after the Civil War\u00a0<\/em>(Chicago, 2012), and\u00a0<em>Ralph Ellison: Emergence of Genius<\/em>,\u00a0<em>1913-1952<\/em>\u00a0(Wiley, 2002).\u00a0<em>Harper&#8217;s Magazine\u00a0<\/em>and<em>\u00a0Best American Essays\u00a0<\/em>have published his criticism and non-fiction. Professor Jackson earned a PhD in English and American literature at Stanford University and has held fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation, the National Humanities Center, and the William J. Fulbright program.<\/p>\n<p>He began his teaching career at Howard University in 1997 and he is now Bloomberg Distinguished Professor of English and History at Johns Hopkins University, where he directs the Billie Holiday Project for Liberation Arts. His next book is\u00a0<em>Job&#8217;s Labyrinth\u00a0<\/em>(Graywolf, 2022) and\u00a0<em>Clint Eastwood&#8217;s Lost Cause: Race in the American Western\u00a0<\/em>(JHU Press).<\/p>\n\t<p>Lawrence P. Jackson<\/p>\n\t<a href=\"#\" id=\"trigger-\" data-modal=\"\" data-node=\"\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/centerforblackliterature.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Evan-Marshall.jpg\" alt=\"Evan-Marshall\" \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\tPreview\n\t\t\tmodal-\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>Evan Marshall<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><strong>Evan Marshall<\/strong>\u00a0moved to London from New York City in 1990 to pursue his dream of becoming an internationally versed yacht designer. Having started his professional career in the mid-1980s at Sparkman Stephens in New York City, Marshall soon began to feel that European design philosophy and approaches held more interest for him.<\/p>\n<p>Following three years of working for a European yacht design office in 1993, he hung his own shingle and established the design office Evan K Marshall; and he hasn&#8217;t looked back since then. In a career that is now spanned more than 25 years, Marshall has focused on his work efforts on yacht interior and exterior designs as well as residential projects. The company has established a unique reputation by embracing a variety of styles and tastes of which the office continues to pursue as they take on new design challenges.<\/p>\n\t<p>Evan Marshall<\/p>\n\t<a href=\"#\" id=\"trigger-\" data-modal=\"\" data-node=\"\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/centerforblackliterature.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/NBWC2021_LizaJessiePeterson-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"NBWC2021_LizaJessiePeterson\" \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\tPreview\n\t\t\tmodal-\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>Liza Jessie Peterson<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><b>Liza Jessie Peterson\u00a0<\/b>is an activist; an actress, playwright, author, and poet. Her critically acclaimed one-woman show,\u00a0<i>The Peculiar Patriot<\/i>, premiered at the National Black Theater in Harlem, was nominated for a Drama Desk Award, and received a generous grant from Agnes Gund&#8217;s prestigious Art for Justice Fund. Liza performed\u00a0<i>The Peculiar Patriot<\/i>\u00a0in more than 35 penitentiaries across the country. She is the author of\u00a0<i>All Day: A Year of Love and Survival Teaching Incarcerated Kids at Rikers Island<\/i>\u00a0(Hachette Publishing, 2017) and was featured in Ava DuVernay&#8217;s\u00a0<i>13th<\/i>.<a href=\"http:\/\/www.lizajessiep.com\/\">www.lizajessiep.com<\/a><\/p>\n\t<p>Liza Jessie Peterson<\/p>\n\t<a href=\"#\" id=\"trigger-\" data-modal=\"\" data-node=\"\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/centerforblackliterature.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Ishmael-Reed.jpg\" alt=\"Ishmael-Reed\" \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\tPreview\n\t\t\tmodal-\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>Ishmael Reed<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><strong>Ishmael Reed<\/strong>\u00a0is the author of novels, plays, poetry, and nonfiction and has received prizes in every category.\u00a0The University of California at Berkeley&#8217;s Distinguished Emeritus Awardee for the year 2020,\u00a0his new poetry collection,\u00a0<em>Why the Black Hole Sings the Blues: Poems 2007-2020, (<\/em>Dalkey Archive Press) was released in November 2020. Also, in 2020, Archway Editions released Reed&#8217;s play\u00a0<em>The Haunting of Lin-Manuel Miranda,\u00a0<\/em>and Audible released two audiobooks,\u00a0<em>The Fool Who Thought Too Much\u00a0<\/em>and\u00a0<em>Malcolm and Me<\/em>.\u00a0<em>The Terrible Fours<\/em>, the third novel in Reed&#8217;s\u00a0<em>Terribles\u00a0<\/em>trilogy will be published by Baraka Books in 2021. His online literary magazine,\u00a0<em>Konch,<\/em>\u00a0can be found at\u00a0www.ishmaelreed.org.<\/p>\n\t<p>Ishmael Reed<\/p>\n\t<a href=\"#\" id=\"trigger-\" data-modal=\"\" data-node=\"\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/centerforblackliterature.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Linda-Villarosa.jpg\" alt=\"Linda-Villarosa\" \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\tPreview\n\t\t\tmodal-\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>Linda Villarosa<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><strong>Linda Villarosa<\/strong>\u00a0is the chair of the board of the Feminist Press at CUNY. She is a contributing writer to\u00a0<em>The New York Times Magazine<\/em>, covering race and public health, and a former executive editor of\u00a0<em>Essence<\/em>\u00a0Magazine. In 2017, her\u00a0<em>Times<\/em>\u00a0<em>Magazine<\/em>\u00a0cover story &#8220;America&#8217;s Hidden HIV Epidemic&#8221; was honored with an Excellence in Journalism Award by The Association of LGBTQ Journalists; that organization inducted her into its Hall of Fame in 2020.<\/p>\n<p>Villarosa&#8217;s\u00a02018 cover story on infant and maternal mortality in Black mothers and babies was nominated for a National Magazine Award. In 2019, she contributed to the Pulitzer\u00a0Prize-winning &#8220;The 1619 Project.&#8221; Her essay highlighted physiological myths, based on race, that have endured since slavery. Villarosa&#8217;s April 29, 2020, cover story examined\u00a0race, health disparities and COVID-19 through the lens of the Zulu Social Club of New Orleans, and her August 2, 2020, article, &#8220;The Refinery Next Door,&#8221; looked at environmental justice in Philadelphia. Villarosa teaches journalism and Black Studies at the\u00a0City College of New York and is writing the book\u00a0<em>Under the Skin: Race, Inequality and the Health of a Nation<\/em>, which will be published later this year by Doubleday.<\/p>\n\t<p>Linda Villarosa<\/p>\n\t<a href=\"#\" id=\"trigger-\" data-modal=\"\" data-node=\"\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/centerforblackliterature.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Mary-Helen-Washington.jpeg\" alt=\"Mary-Helen-Washington\" \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\tPreview\n\t\t\tmodal-\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>Mary Helen Washington<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><strong>Mary Helen Washington\u00a0<\/strong>is a Distinguished University Professor in the English Department at the University of Maryland, College Park, specializing in twentieth- and twenty-first century African American literature. Her monograph\u00a0<em>The Other Blacklist: The African American Literary and Cultural Left of the 1950s\u00a0<\/em>(Columbia University Press, 2014), which received Honorable Mention in the William Sanders Scarborough Prize competition from The Modern Language Association, is described by cultural critic Robin D. G. Kelley, as &#8220;a brilliant work of historical reconstruction and (re)vision.&#8221;\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>She has edited three groundbreaking collections of African American literature:\u00a0<em>Memory of Kin: Stories About Family by Black Writers<\/em>\u00a0(Random House, 1991);\u00a0<em>Black-Eyed Susans and Midnight Birds: Stories by and About Black Women,<\/em>\u00a0(Doubleday, 1990); and\u00a0<em>Invented Lives: Narratives of Black Women, 1860-1960<\/em>\u00a0(Doubleday\/Anchor, 1987). She was president of The American Studies Association from 1996 to 1997 and was awarded the American Studies Association&#8217;s Carl Bode-Norman Holmes Pearson Prize for lifetime achievement in 2015. Her current project,\u00a0<em>Paule-Like A Man: A Biography of Paule Marshall<\/em>, will be published by Yale University Press, 2022.<\/p>\n\t<p>Mary Helen Washington<\/p>\n\t<a href=\"#\" id=\"trigger-\" data-modal=\"\" data-node=\"\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/centerforblackliterature.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/JamiaWilson-150x150.jpeg\" alt=\"JamiaWilson\" \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\tPreview\n\t\t\tmodal-\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>Jamia Wilson<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><strong>Jamia Wilson<\/strong>\u00a0is a feminist activist, writer, and speaker. She joined Random House as vice president and executive editor in 2021. As the former director of the Feminist Press at the City University of New York and the former VP of programs at the Women&#8217;s Media Center, Jamia has been a leading voice on women&#8217;s rights issues for more than a decade.<\/p>\n<p>Her work has appeared in numerous outlets, including\u00a0<em>The New York Times<\/em>,\u00a0<em>The Today Sho<\/em>w, CNN,\u00a0<em>Elle<\/em>, BBC, Rookie, Refinery 29,\u00a0<em>Glamour<\/em>,\u00a0<em>Teen Vogue<\/em>, and\u00a0<em>The Washington<\/em>\u00a0<em>Post<\/em>. She is the author of\u00a0<em>Young, Gifted, and Black<\/em>\u00a0(Wide Eyed Editions, 2018), the introduction and oral history in\u00a0<em>Together We Rise: Behind the Scenes at the Protest Heard Around the World<\/em>\u00a0(Dey Street Books, 2018),\u00a0<em>Step Into Your Power: 23 Lessons on How to Live Your Best Life<\/em>\u00a0(Wide Eyed Editions 2019),\u00a0<em>Big Ideas for Young Thinkers\u00a0<\/em>(Wide Eyed Editions, 2020),\u00a0<em>The ABCs of AOC: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez from A to Z<\/em>\u00a0\u00a0(Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2019), and the co-author\u00a0<em>of Roadmap for Revolutionaries: Resistance, Advocacy, and Activism for All<\/em>\u00a0(Ten Speed Press, 2018). Learn more at\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/dy.mec.cuny.edu\/owa\/redir.aspx?SURL=4EI9MnyIsQuV2fO_DzfNUdba944UavFh962eCw6t6XbTW4BE7t_YCGgAdAB0AHAAOgAvAC8AdwB3AHcALgAvAA..&amp;URL=http%3a%2f%2fwww.%2f\">www.<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/dy.mec.cuny.edu\/owa\/redir.aspx?SURL=NL_roLBPWm9IaKuTMN42AytLQOwFsOrbtvCZsjmsg0nTW4BE7t_YCGgAdAB0AHAAOgAvAC8AagBhAG0AaQBhAHcAaQBsAHMAbwBuAC4AYwBvAG0ALwA.&amp;URL=http%3a%2f%2fjamiawilson.com%2f\">jamiawilson.com<\/a><\/p>\n\t<p>Jamia Wilson<\/p>\n\t\t<h2>\n\t\t\tNBWC2021 Honorees\n\t\t<\/h2>\n\t<h4>Paule Marshall (1929-2019)<\/h4>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/centerforblackliterature.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Paule-Marshall.floral-150x150-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" \/><strong>Paule Marshall<\/strong>, who died August 12, 2019, at age 90, played an indispensable role in the shaping of twentieth- and twenty-first century African American and African diaspora literary canons and in making Black women central to those traditions. Writer Alice Walker described Marshall as a writer &#8220;unequaled in intelligence, vision, craft, by anyone of her generation.&#8221; Marshall&#8217;s 1959 novel<em>\u00a0Brown Girl, Brownstones<\/em>\u00a0is hailed in the\u00a0<em>Norton Anthology of African American Literature<\/em>\u00a0as &#8220;the novel that most Black feminist critics consider to be the beginning of contemporary African American women&#8217;s writings.&#8221; In all of her fiction, Marshall produced Black women figures that are creative, daring, and intelligent, traveling the world in search of an expansive sense of Black identity and community. Marshall&#8217;s published work spans five decades:\u00a0<em>Brown Girl, Brownstones<\/em>, 1959;\u00a0<em>Soul Clap Hands and Sing<\/em>, 1961,\u00a0<em>The Chosen Place, The Timeless People<\/em>, 1969;\u00a0<em>Reena and Other Stories<\/em>, 1983;<em>\u00a0Praisesong for the Widow<\/em>, 1983;\u00a0<em>Daughters,\u00a0<\/em>1991;\u00a0<em>The Fisher King<\/em>, 2000; and she published a memoir,\u00a0<em>Triangular Road<\/em>, in 2009.<\/p>\n<p>She was born Valenza Pauline Burke in Brooklyn in 1929, the daughter of Barbadian immigrants, Adriana and Samuel Burke. A brilliant student, Marshall graduated as salutatorian of her high school class at Brooklyn&#8217;s Bushwick High School. In 1946, she was accepted at Hunter College but left in 1948 when she fell ill with tuberculosis. After her recovery, she enrolled at Brooklyn College, graduating cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa in 1952. Thinking that her name\u00a0<em>Pauline<\/em>\u00a0would discourage her job prospects in journalism, she changed her name to\u00a0<em>Paule<\/em>, with a silent &#8220;e,&#8221; always insisting that her name be pronounced &#8220;Paule-like a man.&#8221;\u00a0 After college, she worked at\u00a0<em>Our World<\/em>\u00a0magazine with editor John P. Davis, who sent her to South America and the Caribbean to represent the magazine. She married sociologist Dr. Kenneth Marshall in 1950. They had a son Evan Keith in 1959 and were divorced in 1963.\u00a0 She married Haitian businessman Nourry Menard in 1970 and lived for part of each year in Haiti. They were divorced in 1985.<\/p>\n<p>In the 1960s, Marshall, along with Lorraine Hansberry, Alice Childress, and Sarah E. Wright, was a member of the panel on &#8220;The Negro Woman and American Literature,&#8221; which began the groundbreaking work of critiquing and challenging stereotypes about Black women.\u00a0 As a member of the Association of Artists for Freedom, she explicitly endorsed Black nationalist rhetoric, calling for &#8220;the rise through revolutionary struggle of the darker peoples of the world.&#8221;\u00a0 Embracing her identity as a writer of the African diaspora, Marshall defined herself as &#8220;West Indian, by heritage,&#8221; and &#8220;solidly Afro-American by birth,&#8221; and always placed her characters and her readers in diasporan worlds. She lived and wrote for a time in Barbados, Grenada, and Haiti. As she traveled back and forth across oceans, from the United States to the West Indies to Africa, Marshall was always politically active-from the civil rights movement and Black nationalist movements in the U.S., to West Indian independence movements, and the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa. Whether her fiction is set in the U.S. or in the Caribbean, Marshall stages the personal struggles of her characters against the oppressive hierarchies of gender, race, sexuality, and colonialism.<\/p>\n<p>Paule Marshall was awarded a Guggenheim in 1961; the John Dos Passos Award for Literature in 1989; a MacArthur Fellowship in 1992; the Anisfield-Wolf Lifetime Achievement Award in 2010; and the Virginia Commonwealth University Distinguished Artist\/Scholar Award in 1994. In 2017, she was given a lifetime achievement award in Barbados for her work and activism there. Marshall taught creative writing at Columbia University, University of California, Berkeley, Yale University, and Virginia Commonwealth University. In her position as Helen Gould Sheppard Chair of Literature and Culture at New York University from 1995 until 2009, she established The New Generation Series in order to showcase younger Black writers from the U.S., Africa, and the Caribbean.\u00a0<em>&#8211; Biography by Mary Helen Washington.\u00a0<\/em>Photograph Courtesy Mary Helen Washington<\/p>\n\t<h4>John Alfred Williams (1925-2015)<\/h4>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/centerforblackliterature.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/John-A.-Williams.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>John Alfred Williams<\/strong>\u00a0was born in Jackson, Mississippi, and raised in Syracuse, New York. He joined the U.S. Navy in 1943, serving as a pharmacist&#8217;s mate in the South Pacific, and attended Syracuse University on the G.I. Bill, graduating with a degree in English and journalism in 1950. Married with two sons, he worked at various jobs to make ends meet. Between separation and divorce, Williams moved to Los Angeles, where he worked briefly in insurance and television publicity before returning to the East Coast. He then worked for a vanity press in Manhattan, where he met Lorrain Isaac, who became his second wife and mother of his third son. After working in radio, for the American Committee on Africa, and on journalism assignments abroad, he published his first novel,\u00a0<em>The Angry Ones\u00a0<\/em>(1960), a.k.a.\u00a0<em>One for New York<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>Williams had one of the most prolific careers in twentieth-century American letters<strong>.\u00a0<\/strong>He is perhaps best known for\u00a0<em>The Man Who Cried I Am\u00a0<\/em>(1967), a novel about a dying African American writer in Europe who learns of the &#8220;King Alfred Plan,&#8221; a government plot to eliminate Black unrest in America. Other novels include\u00a0<em>Night Song\u00a0<\/em>(1961),\u00a0<em>Sissie<\/em>\u00a0(1963),\u00a0<em>Sons of Darkness, Sons of Light<\/em>\u00a0(1969),\u00a0<em>Captain Blackman<\/em>\u00a0(1972),\u00a0<em>Mothersill and the Foxes<\/em>\u00a0(1975),\u00a0<em>The Junior Bachelor Society\u00a0<\/em>(1976),\u00a0<em>!Click Song<\/em>\u00a0(1982),\u00a0<em>The Berhama Account<\/em>\u00a0(1985), and\u00a0<em>Jacob&#8217;s Ladder\u00a0<\/em>(1987). His last published novel,\u00a0<em>Clifford&#8217;s Blues<\/em>\u00a0(1999)-the diary of a Black, gay, jazz pianist in Dachau-may be his finest achievement. Williams also published numerous short stories, a play, a volume of poetry, and wrote the libretto to the opera\u00a0<em>Vanqui<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>Williams&#8217;s career is distinguished further by his work in nonfiction, such as\u00a0<em>The King God Didn&#8217;t Save\u00a0<\/em>(1970), a controversial analysis of the government agencies and media apparatus surrounding Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Other notables include\u00a0<em>The Most Native of Sons: A Biography of Richard Wright<\/em>\u00a0(1970) for young adult readers, and\u00a0<em>If I Stop, I&#8217;ll Die: The Comedy and Tragedy of Richard Pryor<\/em>\u00a0(1991), co-written with his son Dennis. Williams also authored the children&#8217;s book\u00a0<em>Africa, Her History, Lands, and People<\/em>\u00a0(1963) and the American travelogue\u00a0<em>This Is My Country Too<\/em>\u00a0(1965). He co-edited\u00a0<em>Amistad 1<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0<em>2<\/em>, volumes of contemporary writing, and\u00a0<em>Dear Chester, Dear John\u00a0<\/em>(2008), a collection of letters between himself and author Chester Himes. Williams also published extensively as a journalist, appearing in the\u00a0<em>Los Angeles Times<\/em>,\u00a0<em>The Nation<\/em>,\u00a0<em>Holiday<\/em>,\u00a0<em>Newsweek<\/em>,<em>\u00a0Ebony<\/em>,\u00a0<em>Jet<\/em>, and more.<\/p>\n<p>These accomplishments were recognized by numerous awards, including Syracuse University&#8217;s Centennial Medal for Outstanding Achievement (1970), the Richard Wright-Jacques Roumain Award (1973), a National Endowment for the Arts grant (1977), a New Jersey State Council on the Arts Award (1985), and the Before Columbus Foundation&#8217;s American Book Award in 1983 and 1998. Williams also received honorary degrees from numerous universities, including the University of Rochester in 2003.<\/p>\n<p>Williams taught at a variety of institutions, including LaGuardia Community College, Boston University, and NYU. In 1994, he retired from Rutgers University, Newark, where he had been a professor of English, journalism, and creative writing since 1979. At Rutgers, he earned the Lindback Award for Distinguished Teaching in 1982 and was named Paul Robeson Distinguished Professor of English in 1990. In the early 2000s, he was diagnosed with Alzheimer&#8217;s disease, which led to hospitalization at a Veterans Administration facility in Paramus, New Jersey, where he died in 2015.<\/p>\n<p>Williams&#8217;s works &#8220;dispel(led) common myths and misunderstandings about black Americans.&#8221;<sup>1 \u00a0<\/sup>He asserted not only Black cultural specificity and the radical demands of Black Power, but also that African American literature transcended racial difference. He criticized &#8220;the ghetto-ization of Black writers,&#8221; insisting that they be reviewed and taught alongside non-Black writers. Acknowledging the multiplicity of Black experiences, Williams said, &#8220;We must accept difference-celebrate it. We&#8217;re not a monolith-one thing.&#8221;<sup>2 \u00a0<\/sup>James DeJongh called Williams &#8220;arguably the finest Afro-American novelist of his generation.&#8221;<sup>3\u00a0 <\/sup>Exceptional productivity, undeniable storytelling skills, and compelling affirmations of the humanity and diversity of Black people made John A. Williams a figure to be emulated by African American writers of subsequent generations as well.<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>James DeJongh, &#8220;John A. Williams&#8221; Dictionary of Literary Biography, 33 (1984) 268<\/li>\n<li>Qtd. In Fleming<\/li>\n<li>DeJongh 280<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>&#8211; Biography by Jeffrey Allen Tucker, February 2021<\/p>\n<h6><em>Jeffrey Allen Tucker<\/em><em> is an associate professor in the Department of English at the University of Rochester. He is author of <\/em>A Sense of Wonder: Samuel R. Delany, Race, Identity, &amp; Difference <em>(Wesleyan, 2004), editor of <\/em>Conversations with John A. Williams<em> (Mississippi, 2018), and co-editor of <\/em>Race Consciousness: African American Studies for the New Century<em> (NYU, 1997), as well as the author of articles on writers such as Octavia E. Butler, George S. Schuyler, and Colson Whitehead.<\/em><\/h6>\n<h6>Photograph Courtesy of Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation, River Campus Libraries, University of Rochester.<\/h6>\n\t\t<h3>\n\t\t\tContact Us\n\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\t<p>Center for Black Literature at<br \/>Medgar Evers College, CUNY (CBL)<br \/>1534 Bedford Avenue, 2nd Floor<br \/>Brooklyn, New York 11216O\ufb03ce: (718) 804-8883<br \/>Email: <a href=\"mailto:writers@mec.cuny.edu\">writers@mec.cuny.edu<\/a><\/p>\t\t\n\t\t<h3>\n\t\t\tSupport Us with a Donation!\n\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\t<p>To carry out our mission, we rely heavily on donations from the public. Please <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rfcuny.org\/eventpayment\/events\/index?college=medgar\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">MAKE A DONATION<\/a><\/strong> today. <em>Every dollar counts!<\/em><\/p>\t\t\n\t\t<h3>\n\t\t\tWe&#8217;re on Social Media!\n\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t<link itemprop=\"url\" href=\"https:\/\/centerforblackliterature.org\"\/>\n\t\t<a itemprop=\"sameAs\" href=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/centerforblackliterature\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Facebook\" aria-label=\"Facebook\" role=\"button\" rel=\"noopener\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<link itemprop=\"url\" href=\"https:\/\/centerforblackliterature.org\"\/>\n\t\t<a itemprop=\"sameAs\" href=\"http:\/\/www.twitter.com\/center4blackliterature\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Twitter\" aria-label=\"Twitter\" role=\"button\" rel=\"noopener\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<link itemprop=\"url\" href=\"https:\/\/centerforblackliterature.org\"\/>\n\t\t<a itemprop=\"sameAs\" href=\"http:\/\/www.instagram.com\/center4blackit\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Instagram\" aria-label=\"Instagram\" role=\"button\" rel=\"noopener\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<h3>\n\t\t\tJoin Us\n\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\t<p>Join our email newsletter to get regular details on our events including the upcoming (virtual only) National Black Writers Conference (NBWC). <strong>SAVE THE DATE: March 31 &#8211; April 2, 2022<\/strong>.<\/p>\t\t\n\t<p>Copyright \u00a9 2021 All rights reserved. | Center for Black Literature at Medgar Evers College, CUNY.<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>About Mission Statement What We Do Testimonials The Founder Staff and Affiliated Faculty Sponsors, Partners, and Supporters Donate to CBL NBWC NBWC Overview NBWC 2021 Program NBWC FAQ Events Programs Monthly Book Club Elders Writing Workshop Writing Workshop Wild Seeds Writers Retreat Re-Envisioning Our Lives through Literature (R.O.L.L.) Program John Oliver Killens Reading Series Writers &hellip;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"> <a class=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/centerforblackliterature.org\/nbwc-2021-program\/\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">NBWC 2021 Program<\/span> Read More \u00bb<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"no-sidebar","site-content-layout":"page-builder","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"disabled","site-post-title":"disabled","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"disabled","footer-sml-layout":"disabled","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-9365","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v22.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>NBWC 2021 Program - Center for Black Literature<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/centerforblackliterature.org\/nbwc-2021-program\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"NBWC 2021 Program - Center for Black Literature\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"About Mission Statement What We Do Testimonials The Founder Staff and Affiliated Faculty Sponsors, Partners, and Supporters Donate to CBL NBWC NBWC Overview NBWC 2021 Program NBWC FAQ Events Programs Monthly Book Club Elders Writing Workshop Writing Workshop Wild Seeds Writers Retreat Re-Envisioning Our Lives through Literature (R.O.L.L.) 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