Lasting Impacts of Black Poetry After the Black Arts Movement

By Laura Vrana

On the occasion of the upcoming tenth anniversary of the July 2015 NEH-funded Black Poetry After the Black Arts Movement institute, convened by Maryemma Graham, Howard Rambsy II, and others at the University of Kansas, we asked participants: What were the biggest takeaways or lasting effects of the institute for you?

Tara T. Green: 

The lasting impact has been the exposure I had to African American poetry. My area of research is African American fiction and autobiography. I knew little about contemporary poetry and was reluctant to add any to my syllabi. I now regularly teach contemporary Black poets in my literature and African American Studies undergraduate and graduate courses.

Jocelyn Moody: 

Most immediately, I think one of the most lasting effects of the NEH was that I include scholarship and poetry by Meta duEwa Jones, Mullen, and Shockley more often into my teaching. Attending their readings was a profound experience for me. In fact, I hosted Shockley as a visiting poet at my institution within a couple of years after our KU time. Then, as an autobiography scholar, I included a brief discussion of Mullen’s Urban Tumbleweed in a recent book chapter. Another aspect of the NEH that I valued was the variety of critical perspectives offered through the diversity of participants. I appreciated that we represented so many different (types of) institutions.

Richard Schur: 

The NEH seminar altered the trajectory of my teaching and transformed my understanding of African American literature. I came into the experience well-versed in African American literature and music and had organized my African American literature classes around them. The seminar opened my eyes to the power of African American contemporary poetry and its diversity. Upon returning back to my campus, I set out to revise my African American literature courses around poetry, especially the spoken word. The result has been my students have been able to become acquainted with a deeper roster of seminal texts, and they too have come to share my love of poetry. The experience rekindled my love of poetry and even got me creating my own poetry.

Jim Donahue: 

The most lasting effect of this institute has been the connections with people I made, some of which continue to this day. In addition to the friendships made - and kept alive over social media - these connections have led to various professional opportunities, perhaps most importantly in helping to build a larger network to boost the signal of the excellent work done by the various Institute participants. I have shared my own work and, even more importantly, have had the work of others brought to my attention through the continued efforts of signal boosting engaged by the Institute participants. I have had the good fortune to attend multiple NEH Institutes in my professional career, and the 2015 Institute on Black Poetry After the Black Arts Movement continues to be the most active and engaged, 10 years after. This is a wonderful testament to all those involved."

Related:

• Black Poetry After the Black Arts Movement: Reflections