History of Black Writing

History of Black Writing Founded in 1983, the History of Black Writing is a research unit at Indiana University committed to recovering and sharing Black literature.

Juneteenth marks freedom delayed but not denied and is also a reminder of how much of that delay, and that freedom, live...
06/19/2026

Juneteenth marks freedom delayed but not denied and is also a reminder of how much of that delay, and that freedom, lives in the archive.

From slave narratives and freedom papers to Ralph Ellison's unfinished novel Juneteenth, the story of emancipation has always been a story Black writers kept telling, revising, reclaiming, and refusing to let the record close.

Today we're celebrating the writers, past and present, who turned a delayed freedom into a literary inheritance. What are you reading this Juneteenth?

HBW loves to celebrate the accomplishments of our staff who support our program's goals! Join us in congratulating Leo S...
06/12/2026

HBW loves to celebrate the accomplishments of our staff who support our program's goals!

Join us in congratulating Leo Schneider, who recently graduated from Indiana University - Bloomington with a Bachelor of Arts in English.

HBW loves to celebrate the accomplishments of our staff who support our program's goals! Join us in congratulating Katie...
06/10/2026

HBW loves to celebrate the accomplishments of our staff who support our program's goals!

Join us in congratulating Katie Bryan, who recently graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a Master of Arts in Library and Information Studies.

Gwendolyn Brooks was a poet who had a gift for finding the extraordinary in everyday Black American life. In 1950, she b...
06/09/2026

Gwendolyn Brooks was a poet who had a gift for finding the extraordinary in everyday Black American life. In 1950, she became the first Black author to win the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry. Throughout her career, she remained deeply committed to her community as a writer, a mentor, and a voice for collective Black life.

Let her words from the poem "Paul Robeson" remind us that we do not rise alone. Our growth is bound up in one another; our successes, our struggles, and our futures are shared. Community is not a backdrop to our individual lives. It is the very ground we stand on.

Octavia Butler was a groundbreaking science fiction writer whose visionary novels explored power, survival, and transfor...
05/26/2026

Octavia Butler was a groundbreaking science fiction writer whose visionary novels explored power, survival, and transformation through a distinctly Black lens. The first science fiction writer to receive the MacArthur "Genius" Grant, she built worlds that forced readers to reckon with who they are and what they are capable of becoming.

Let her words from the "Parable of the Sower" remind us that we are never passive in this world. Every action we take leaves a mark on our communities, our circumstances, and ourselves. To move through life with intention is to understand that change is not something that happens to us. It begins with us.

Langston Hughes was a renowned literary figure of the Harlem Renaissance era whose poetry, plays, and essays gave voice ...
05/11/2026

Langston Hughes was a renowned literary figure of the Harlem Renaissance era whose poetry, plays, and essays gave voice to the struggles and dreams of Black America. He created a distinctly African American poetic voice that celebrated Black culture while confronting racial injustice through his use of jazz rhythms and vernacular language.

Let his words from the poem “Dreams” remind us that our visions are essential to our survival and growth. Without them, we are grounded, unable to reach our full potential.

Meet the people working behind the scenes for HBW! Lee is HBW’s videographer and editor. In this role, Lee handles media...
05/06/2026

Meet the people working behind the scenes for HBW!

Lee is HBW’s videographer and editor. In this role, Lee handles media production. Outside of HBW, Lee is working toward a Master of Science at IU in documentary and non-fiction production. Lee is from Chesapeake, Virginia, and enjoys shooting 16MM and Super 8 motion–picture film.

Meet the people working behind the scenes for HBW! Henry is one of HBW’s digitization and data tank assistants. In this...
05/05/2026

Meet the people working behind the scenes for HBW!

Henry is one of HBW’s digitization and data tank assistants. In this role, Henry uses digitization software to check for errors in the post-scanning process for HBW’s digital archive.

Outside of HBW, Henry is a first-year Master of Library Science student. Henry is from Hebron, Indiana and has been enjoying learning about the history of diseases and bookmaking.

Meet the people working behind the scenes for HBW! Sophie is one of HBW’s digitization and data tank assistants. In her ...
05/04/2026

Meet the people working behind the scenes for HBW!

Sophie is one of HBW’s digitization and data tank assistants. In her role, she helps prepare books to enter our digital corpus and collects metadata on them.

Outside of HBW, Sophie is a first-year graduate student. She is from Dayton, Ohio and enjoys going on walks and listening to music.

Toni Morrison was an award-winning novelist whose lyrical work highlighted the complexities of Black identity and histor...
05/04/2026

Toni Morrison was an award-winning novelist whose lyrical work highlighted the complexities of Black identity and history. Her powerful narratives explore slavery's generational impact, the intersection of race and gender in shaping lived experience, and the enduring strength of Black American culture.

Let her words from the “Song of Solomon” remind us that freedom requires letting go. True liberation means having the courage to release what no longer serves us.

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Lawrence, KS

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Monday 9am - 3pm
Tuesday 9am - 3pm
Wednesday 9am - 3pm
Thursday 9am - 3pm
Friday 9am - 11am

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