From Friday May 3 through Sunday May 5,
2002, the Center celebrated its official opening. Below is
a program of events and links to images from the celebration.
FRIDAY, MAY 3 at 6:00 pm
Medgar Evers College Library
The opening celebration for the new Center for Black Literature
and a tribute to the late scholar and poet Calvin C. Hernton.
Host: Avery Brooks
pictures
SATURDAY, MAY 4 at 2:00 pm
Medgar Evers College Auditorium
A Tribute to Calvin C. Hernton
Presenters:
Elaine Brown ~ Steve Cannon ~ Abba Elethu
Meredith Gadsby ~ David Henderson ~ Anton Hernton
Mary O'Callaghan Hernton ~ Rashidah Abu-Baker Ismali
Haki Madhubuti ~ Kevin Powell ~ Ishmael Reed
Eugene Redmond ~ Sonia Sanchez
John A. Williams (Presented by Arthur Flowers)
Spoken Word Performance
Du Ewa Frazier ~ Jessica Care Moore
Tehut Nine ~ Kate Rushkin
Video Taped Presentation
Dr. Maya Angelou
Calvin C. Hernton was a noted poet and
scholar widely known for his "landmark study" entitled
Sex and Racism in America. He was a was also a prolific writer
publishing short stories, a novel, and books of poetry. He
also founded Umbra Magazine, which published the works of
Langston Hughes, Alice Walker, and others. Until his retirement
in 1999, Mr. Hernton was a professor of African-American Studies
and Creative Writing at Oberlin University.
He passed of cancer in October 2001.
pictures
SUNDAY, MAY 5 at 7:00 pm
Celebration for "Drumvoices Revue" & Tribute to
Raymond Patterson
at The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture
Presenters:
Jayne Cortez ~ Michael Datcher ~ David Henderson ~ Tony Media
Ama Patterson ~ Kevin Powell ~ Eugene Redmond ~ Darlene Roy
Sonia Sanchez
pictures
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