March …

The National Black Writers Conference (NBWC) is a premier forum dedicated to celebrating, advancing, and sustaining Black literary voices and the institutions that support them.

Established in March 1986 at the Center for Black Literature at the City College of New York (CUNY), the conference emerged from a recognized need for a continuous national forum where Black writers, scholars, publishers, and readers could gather. Key to its founding was poet and scholar John Oliver Killens, who played significant role in shaping the Center, as well as various other literary activists linked to it.

The conference has been steered by the Center’s director and dedicated organizers who have worked tirelessly to professionalize and institutionalize this recurring national gathering. It is deeply rooted in Black literary activism, addressing issues of marginalization in mainstream publishing, the academic sidelining of Black literary traditions, and the necessity for networking, mentorship, and advocacy.

The conference’s diverse programming includes panels, readings, master classes, book fairs, and publishing forums, attracting both established and emerging authors, editors, agents, scholars, and cultural producers. Influences on its model stem from earlier Black literary networks, such as the Harlem Writers Guild, the Black Arts Movement, and various university-based Black studies initiatives that championed community engagement, cultural self-definition, and artistic independence.

Throughout its history, the conference has welcomed generations of writers and cultural figures — poets, novelists, playwrights, and essayists — who have utilized the NBWC to launch projects, advance their careers, and engage in discussions about aesthetics and policy. Notable writers who have participated include Toni Morrison, Maya Angelou, Amiri Baraka, Alice Walker, Paule Marshall, Walter Mosley, Ishmael Reed, Rita Dove, Sonia Sanchez, Gayl Jones, Edwidge Danticat, Cornel West (as commentator/scholar), Michael Eric Dyson, Charles Johnson, Nikki Giovanni, Sonia Sanchez, Eugene B. Redmond, and Tracy K. Smith.

Stakeholders encompass the Center for Black Literature, CUNY, a range of funders and cultural partners — alongside book publishers, academic departments, schools, community organizations — and the broad audience of teachers, students, librarians, and readers who depend on the conference for professional development and community engagement. The conference has successfully cultivated mentorship networks, editorial connections, and cross-sector collaborations that are vital to sustaining Black literary production and scholarship.

The conference and its hosting Center have garnered recognition for their contributions to cultural service, educational impact, and literary advocacy. It is supported by institutional partnerships and accolades presented during the conference, including lifetime achievement and literary awards celebrating remarkable Black writers.

The esteemed reputation of the National Black Writers Conference as a lasting national platform for Black literature has positioned it as a pivotal venue for shaping publishing strategies, academic curricula, and public discourse surrounding race, authorship, and literary history.