'In Conversation with Renowned Poet Haki Madhubuti'

In Conversation with Renowned Poet Haki Madhubuti on Writing, Publishing, and Community Advocacy, moderated by Aubrey (Aubs.) Barnes

Dr. Haki R. Madhubuti, an influential architect of the Black Arts Movement, will speak about his experiences as a leading poet, author and educator. Madhubuti is widely known as a publisher and the founder of Chicago's Third World Press (1967), the oldest and largest Black-owned publishing house in the United States.

Aubrey (Aubs.) Barnes, an award-winning spoken word poet and author, will interview and facilitate a discussion with Madhubuti regarding his life and career as a literary leader.

The discussion will start at 6 p.m. at the Gerber Center (Gävle Room 3). Admission is free and open to the public. A video of the event will be posted to YouTube.

This event is sponsored by Augustana College’s Tredway Library, the Rare Book School's M.C. Lang Fellowship, the Humanities Fund, and Rivermont Collegiate.

About Dr. Haki R. Madhubuti

Dr. Haki R. Madhubuti – poet, author, professor, and publisher – is a leading figure in Black literature and an architect of the Black Arts Movement. He is a pivotal writer of over 37 creative writing and non-fiction publications (some under his former name, Don L. Lee). His poetry and essays are also available in over 100 anthologies. Madhubuti’s first four Black Arts poetry books – Think Black (1967), Black Pride (1968), Don’t Cry, Scream! (1969), and We Walk the Way of the New World (1970) – sold over 140,000 copies between 1967 to 1971 making him one of the best-selling poets in the United States and the world. His 1991 book, Black Men: Obsolete, Single, Dangerous? The African American Family in Transition, has more than one million copies in print. His most recent book, Taught by Women: Poems As Resistance Language, New and Selected (2020), honors the many women who influenced his life. Among his many honors, he is the recipient of the American Book Award, Illinois Arts Council Award, Studs Terkel Humanities Award, Pegasus Lifetime Achievement  Award, and the Hurston/Wright Legacy Prize.

Madhubuti is widely known as a publisher and the founder of Chicago’s Third World Press (1967), the oldest and largest Black-owned publishing house in the United States. In 2015, the press expanded its mission as the Third World Press Foundation. The TWP Foundation is a non-profit literacy program that provides support and resources to underserved communities. 

For more information about Dr. Haki Madhubuti, please see his biography.

About Aubrey (Aubs.) Barnes

Aubrey Barnes, also known as "Aubs.", is a poet, spoken word artist, battle rap enthusiast, author, and educator. His self-published books of poetry include, "Unfin-," "I'm Not Anti-Love, I Swear…" and "It is Good, It is Written." He is the founder of Roaring Rhetoric, a poetry showcase that highlights both local and regional artists. Barnes also founded the Young Lions Roar Project, a non-profit program that guides young poets in writing, discussing, and performing poetry in a safe space. For his continued efforts within the community, the City of Rock Island named him the individual awardee for Citizen of the Year in 2023. He is also a recipient of the Quad Cities Regional Business Journal's Forty Under 40 Awards. In addition to teaching and directing, Aubrey Barnes is the co-founder and host of The Black Thoughts Podcast. 

For more information on Aubrey Barnes (Aubs.), please see his biography.