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.

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.

Meet the people working behind the scenes for HBW! Lindsay is HBW’s digitization lead. In her role, she makes sure boo...
05/03/2026

Meet the people working behind the scenes for HBW!

Lindsay is HBW’s digitization lead. In her role, she makes sure books are on hand to be scanned and added to our digital corpus.

Outside of HBW, Lindsay is a Ph.D. candidate in English with an MLS in Rare Books and Manuscripts. She is from Virginia and enjoys hanging out with her cat.

Meet the people working behind the scenes for HBW! Katie is HBW's digitization coordinator. In her role, she runs quali...
05/02/2026

Meet the people working behind the scenes for HBW!

Katie is HBW's digitization coordinator. In her role, she runs quality control checks for HBW’s scanning and digitization processes.

Outside of HBW, Katie is completing her Master of Arts in Library & Information Studies at the University of Wisconsin – Madison. She is from Lake Elmo, Minnesota, and has been writing in-depth Letterboxd reviews on new movies lately!

Meet the people working behind the scenes for HBW! Wenlu is HBW’s communications coordinator. In her role, she runs HBW’...
05/01/2026

Meet the people working behind the scenes for HBW!

Wenlu is HBW’s communications coordinator. In her role, she runs HBW’s social media accounts and helps update the website.

Outside of HBW, Wenlu is an undergraduate student studying Marketing and Professional Sales at Kelley. She is from Fremont, CA, and enjoys being outdoors and staying active.

Meet the people working behind the scenes for HBW! Alp is HBW's data tank coordinator. In this role, Alp creates and ve...
04/30/2026

Meet the people working behind the scenes for HBW!

Alp is HBW's data tank coordinator. In this role, Alp creates and verifies metadata for HBW’s corpus of novels. Alp is from Edremit, Turkey, and is working on building a laser harp!

BlueSky: Meet the people working behind the scenes for HBW! Alp is HBW's data tank coordinator. In this role, Alp creates and verifies metadata for HBW’s corpus of novels. Alp is from Edremit, Turkey, and is working on building a laser harp!

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