Broadside Lotus Press is an independent press that was created as a result of the merging of Broadside Press, founded by

Dudley Randall Dudley Randall (January 14, 1914 – August 5, 2000) was an African-American poetry, poet and poetry publisher from Detroit, Michigan. He founded a African-American book publishers in the United States, 1960–80, pioneering publishing company cal ...

in 1965, in

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...

, and Naomi Long Madgett's Lotus Press, founded in Detroit in 1972. At the time of the merger they were among the oldest

black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white have o ...

-owned presses in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. On March 31, 2015, it was announced that Lotus Press would be merging with Broadside Press, forming the new Broadside Lotus Press.

Broadside Press

Broadside Press was founded in 1965 by the

poet A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator ( thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems (oral or writte ...

as a showcase for African American authors. Early in the Press' history, Randall began by publishing 8.5x11 broadsides of single poems. Broadside Press was launched with publication of his poem "

The Ballad of Birmingham "Ballad of Birmingham" is a poem by Dudley Randall, that he published as a broadside in 1965.

." The Press changed ownership several times, in 1977 ownership of the Broadside Press was transferred to the Alexander Crummell Center for Worship and Learning, and back to Randall in 1981. In 1985, Hilda and Don Vest purchased the Press from Randall. Through its history, Broadside Press published the works of

Gwendolyn Brooks Gwendolyn Elizabeth Brooks (June 7, 1917 – December 3, 2000) was an American poet, author, and teacher. Her work often dealt with the personal celebrations and struggles of ordinary people in her community. She won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetr ...

Margaret Walker Margaret Walker (Margaret Abigail Walker Alexander by marriage; July 7, 1915 – November 30, 1998) was an American poet and writer. She was part of the African-American literary movement in Chicago, known as the Chicago Black Renaissance. H ...

Margaret Danner Margaret Danner (1915–1984) (Margaret Esse Danner, Margaret Danner Cunningham) was an American poet, editor and cultural activist known for her poetic imagery and her celebration of African heritage and cultural forms. Early life and Chicago ye ...

Robert Hayden Robert Hayden (August 4, 1913February 25, 1980) was an American poet, essayist, and educator. He served as Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress from 1976 to 1978, a role today known as US Poet Laureate. He was the first African-Americ ...

, Sterling Brown,

Sonia Sanchez Sonia Sanchez (born Wilsonia Benita Driver; September 9, 1934) is an American poet, writer, and professor. She was a leading figure in the Black Arts Movement and has written over a dozen books of poetry, as well as short stories, critical essay ...

, Willie Kgositsile,

Nikki Giovanni Yolande Cornelia "Nikki" Giovanni Jr. (born June 7, 1943) is an American poet, writer, commentator, activist, and educator. One of the world's most well-known African-American poets,Jane M. Barstow, Yolanda Williams Page (eds)"Nikki Giovanni" ''E ...

Haki Madhubuti Haki R. Madhubuti (born Don Luther Lee on February 23, 1942, in Little Rock, Arkansas, United States) is an African-American author, educator, and poet, as well as a publisher and operator of black-themed bookstore. He is particularly recognized ...

Etheridge Knight Etheridge Knight (April 19, 1931 – March 10, 1991) was an African-American poet who made his name in 1968 with his debut volume, '' Poems from Prison''. The book recalls in verse his eight-year-long sentence after his arrest for robbery in 1960. ...

, and

Audre Lorde Audre Lorde (; born Audrey Geraldine Lorde; February 18, 1934 – November 17, 1992) was an American writer, womanist, radical feminist, professor, and civil rights activist. She was a self-described "black, lesbian, mother, warrior, poet," who ...

. A bio-bibliography of Broadside Press authors by

Leaonead Pack Bailey Leaonead Justine Pack Drain-Bailey (January 28, 1906-March 29, 1983) was an American librarian and educator, the former Head of Library at West Virginia State University from 1949 through 1956. The Drain-Jordan Library which opened in 1951 and wh ...

was published in 1974.

Lotus Press

Naomi Long Madgett established Lotus Press in 1972. In 1980 Lotus Press, Inc. was recognized as a 501(C)(3) organization specializing in the publication of books of poetry. Madgett continued to serve as publisher/editor until 2015 when Lotus Press merged with Broadside Press, becoming what is now Broadside Lotus Press. The imprint published Black writers such as Herbert Woodward Martin,

Dolores Kendrick Dolores Kendrick (September 7, 1927 – November 7, 2017) was an American poet, and served as the second Poet Laureate of the District of Columbia. Her book ''The Women of Plums: Poems in the Voices of Slave Women'' won the Anisfield-Wolf Award. ...

James A. Emanuel James Emanuel (born June 15, 1921 – September 28, 2013) was a poet and scholar from Alliance, Nebraska. Emanuel, who is ranked by some critics as one of the best

Gayl Jones Gayl Jones (born November 23, 1949) is an American writer from Lexington, Kentucky. She is recognized as a key figure in 20th-century African-American literature. Imani Perry posits Jones as "one of the most versatile and transformative writers ...

May Miller May Miller (January 26, 1899 – February 8, 1995) was an American poet, playwright and educator. Miller, who was African-American, became known as the most widely published female playwright of the Harlem Renaissance and had seven volumes of po ...

Toi Derricotte Toi Derricotte (pronounced ''DARE-ah-cot'' ) (born April 12, 1941) is an American poet. She is the author of six poetry collections and a literary memoir. She has won numerous literary awards, including the 2020 Frost Medal for distinguished lifet ...

, and

. In 1993 the national Naomi Long Madgett Poetry Award was established to recognize and publish an outstanding manuscript by an African American poet. This annual award continues under the sponsorship of Broadside Lotus Press.

References

{{Reflist, 30em

External links

Broadside Lotus Press website.Broadside Lotus Press Facebook Page
* African American and African Pamphlet collection at the

University of Maryland Libraries The University of Maryland Libraries is the largest university library in the Washington, D.C. - Baltimore area. The university's library system includes eight libraries: six are located on the College Park campus, while the Severn Library, an of ...

Stuart A. Rose Manuscript, Archives, and Rare Book Library
Emory University
Broadside Press collection, 1960-1970 (MSS 907)
Publishing companies of the United States Companies based in Detroit African-American press

Broadside Press

Lotus Press

See also

References

External links