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Founded in 2003, the mission of the Center for Black Literature is to expand, broaden, and enrich the public’s knowledge and aesthetic appreciation of the value of black literature. Through a series of programs that build an audience for the reading, discussion, and critical analysis of contemporary black literature and that serve as a forum for the research and study of black literature, the Center convenes and supports various literary programs and events such as author signings, writing workshops, panel discussions, conferences, and symposia.

The Center also collaborates with Medgar Evers College programs and various organizations including public schools, the Brooklyn Public Library, the Brooklyn Academy of Music, the Brooklyn Museum, the PEN American Center, the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, and the Frederick Douglass Creative Arts Center. In order to accomplish its mission and sustain its programming, the Center must raise funds through its individuals interested in supporting the arts as well as private and public organizations and foundations. Funding for Center programs has been provided by organizations such as the National Endowment for the Arts, the Nathan Cummings Foundation, the New York Council on the Humanities, Poets and Writers, and Independence Community Bank.

Spearheaded by Dr. Brenda M. Greene, the Center for Black Literature has developed a network of audiences through its programs, newsletter, and conference proceedings. Among its major programs are the National Black Writers Conference, the Re-imagining Our Lives Through Literature CUNY Arts High School Program, the North Country Institute and Retreat for Writers of Color, the Writers on Writing Radio Program and the Elder African American Writers Workshop.

Your tax deductible membership gift of $40.00