Our Mission
Expand, broaden, and enrich the public’s knowledge and aesthetic appreciation of Black literature by people of the African Diaspora.
National Black Writers Conference
The 2021 National Black Writers Conference, “They Cried I Am: The Life and Work of Paule Marshall and John A. Williams, Unsung Black Literary Voices,” will celebrate the life and works of the late Paule Marshall and the late John A. Williams.
Date: Saturday, March 27, 2021 (one day only)
Time: 11:00 AM – 7:00 PM ET (online, via Zoom)
NOTE: A hearty THANK YOU to everyone who helped make this event a grand success. Stay tuned for how to access highlights and for information about #NBWC2022 coming up next March during our 20th anniversary year!
Select #Center4BlackLit Events 2021
Thursday, March 11, 2021 6:30 PM ET
The COVID-19 Writers Project captures the viewpoint of the coronavirus pandemic from inside the virus’s hotspot—NYC—while examining the extent to which health outcomes are impacted by socioeconomics, education, and race. NOTE: Thank you to all who attended this powerful event. In case you missed it, you can watch the reply on our YouTube channel.
Saturday, March 27, 2021 11:00 AM ET
The 2021 NBWC, “They Cried I Am: The Life and Work of Paule Marshall and John A. Williams, Unsung Black Literary Voices,” will celebrate the life and works of the late Paule Marshall and the late John A. Williams. CUNY Students and Faculty Register for free!
NOTE: Thank you to all who made this a successful event! In case you missed it, highlights are coming soon to YouTube!
Thursday, April 8, 2021 6:30 PM ET
The Center for Black Literature presents renowned hip hop artist and activist Talib Kweli in conversation with Akiba Solomon, senior editor at The Marshall Project, about his book Vibrate Higher: A Rap Story (MCD, 2021).
People of all ages are welcome to attend this family-friendly event. Register today. It's free!
Experience the #WritersOnWriting Radio Program
Cheryl Boyce-Taylor
Dr. Brenda M. Greene interviews Cheryl Boyce-Taylor, a poet and the recipient of the 2015 Barnes and Noble Writers For Writers Award. Boyce-Taylor earned an MFA in Poetry from Stonecoast: The University of Southern Maine and is the author of four collections of poetry. Her verse memoir, Mama Phife Represents, stands as a tribute to her late son, hip hop icon Malik “Phife Dawg” Taylor of A Tribe Called Quest.
Gloria J. Browne-Marshall
Dr. Brenda M. Greene interviews Gloria J. Browne-Marshall, a Professor of Constitutional Law at John Jay College of Criminal Justice (CUNY). She teaches classes in Constitutional Law, Race and the Law, Evidence, and Gender and Justice. She is also playwright of seven produced plays. Her screenplay "Freeman's Men" was a finalist as well as official selection at national and international film festivals.
About the Center for Black Literature at Medgar Evers College, CUNY
For nearly 20 years, the public and academic programs of the Center for Black Literature (CBL) have been highly revered and have had a dynamic impact in the literary field. The author readings and book signings, journals, symposia, conferences, panel discussions, and writing workshops—and the Center’s intellectual and accessible approach to programming—form an integrative approach that sets CBL apart from others. CBL’s body of work is known for the way in which it ensures that Black literary scholarship and conversations are valued and sustained.
Contact Us
Center for Black Literature at
Medgar Evers College, CUNY (CBL)
1534 Bedford Avenue, 2nd Floor
Brooklyn, New York 11216
Office: (718) 804-8883
Email: writers@mec.cuny.edu
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