Haki R. Madhubuti, formerly Don L. Lee, is one of the most prominent figures in Black American literature of the 1960s and 1970s. Born in Little Rock, raised in Detroit, and currently living in Chicago, Madhubuti was deeply influenced by fellow poet Gwendolyn Brooks. He went on to develop his own style of candid free verse and advanced the Black Arts Movement as a poet, essayist, editor, publisher, and educator. He became a founder of Third World Press in 1967, one of the oldest, independent Black-owned presses in the United States. Correspondence between Madhubuti and American Library in Paris member and fellow poet James A. Emanuel underscores Madhubuti’s passion for Black latitude in literature.

Pictured, from the Library’s James A. Emanuel Special Collection: Black Words that Say: Don’t Cry, Scream (1969) by Don L. Lee (Broadside Press), inscribed: “To brother James: Hope you will continue to move into a black righteous direction. My brother in blackness and love Don L. Lee.”

Once among the oldest residents of the Black American expatriate “colony” in Paris and a member of the Library, James Emanuel developed relationships with some of the most notable names in literature. The American Library in Paris was graciously gifted the James A. Emanuel Special Collection, an assemblage of rich artefacts and correspondence and a testimony to the uplift and self-determination shared between Black authors. This year, for Black History Month, the American Library in Paris celebrates Emanuel’s legacy and the community he cultivated throughout his life.

The Library is proud to announce that GRoW @ Annenberg is the official sponsor of our Evenings with an Author series.

Announced during our Century Gala, this generous sponsorship will allow the Library to continue providing readings, lectures, panels, and other literary events free to the public for the next five years. For information on upcoming Evenings, please scroll down the homepage or visit the website calendar.

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