In celebration of Black History Month, this post highlights some of the many contributions of Black poets and writers, including former U.S. Poets Laureate, to the Library's 100+ year history of literary programs and initiatives.
This “Literary Treasures” post, written by intern Paramita Vadhahong, examines an audio recording from the Archive of Recorded Poetry and Literature featuring Rita Dove reading her poems at the Library of Congress on May 4, 1995.
In commemoration of Juneteenth, Manuscript Division curator Barbara Bair explores Ralph Ellison’s unfinished second novel, which was not published until after his 1994 death. The resulting novel, "Juneteenth," reflects Ellison’s deep thinking about the rifts in American society—the dissonance, melodies and harmonies, and the strife of racial prejudice and discrimination. Like Ellison’s novel, the idea of Juneteenth as a national holiday has been a long time coming.