Black World and this broader African American discourse

Issues of Black World that Donald Garcia gave me

Donald Garcia, whose wonderful personal book collection I've written about before, was the one who first started sharing issues of Black World magazine with me. He owned over two dozens issues. When I would visit him during my stay in New York City in the spring of 1998, those issues of Black World were some of what I read.

I discovered that September 1974 issue as well as several other issues at Mr. Garcia's place. A couple of years later on one of my visits to the city, Mr. Garcia generously gifted me about 15 issues of the publication. It wasn't unusual for him to give me books from his collection here and there, but so many issues of Black World? Amazing.  And kind.


Mr. Garcia was among a few different collectors I've met who owned issues of Black World. When I arrived at Pennsylvania State University, I discovered that my graduate school mentor Bernard Bell owns almost the entire run of Negro Digest/Black World. When I began teaching at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, I learned that my faculty mentor, Eugene B. Redmond also owns nearly the entire run of the magazine.

Negro Digest/Black World was not a collector's item when Bell, Redmond, and Garcia began purchasing their issues during the 1960s and 1970s. For those men, the magazine was an element in the extensive network of texts from that era. That network constituted this broader African American discourse. 

Related:
• Blogging about Black World magazine
• Donald Garcia's marvelous book collection