Editor’s Note: The text below was first published on the Bright Skylark Literary Productions website as part of the article titled “The Years 2022 and 2023 part 2: Looking Ahead.” It has been adapted for inclusion here as an introduction to the 20th anniversary of Encyclopedia of the Harlem Renaissance (Infobase Publishing) observations. Those who are interested may read the complete article free of charge by clicking here. Harlem Renaissance Forever A big special moment two decades in the making is the 20th anniversary of the publication of Encyclopedia of the Harlem Renaissance (Infobase Publishing). With the emphasis many place these days on cultural heritage and legacies, the deaths of Sandra L. West (1947-2019 and Clement Alexander Price (1945-2014), my co-author and foreword author on the encyclopedia respectively, make its 20th anniversary all the more significant. With my late colleagues, the encyclopedia itself, and the numerous scholars, researchers, and creatives who have benefitted from it in mind, observations of the milestone will take place throughout 2023. They will include but not be limited to the following:
The Company a Good Book Keeps In addition to the awards it garners, the enduring value of a particular book may be measured by the company it keeps on different readers’ and libraries’ shelves. Encyclopedia of the Harlem Renaissance has been welcomed into collections around the world. As seen in the above screenshot, it is included on the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Library’s suggested reading list for Black History Month along with some very “significant others.” Namely: Becoming by Michelle Obama; The Richard Wright Encyclopedia edited by Jerry W. Ward, Jr., and Robert J. Butler, and Maya Angelou: A Glorious Celebration by Marcia Ann Gillespie, Rosa Johnson Butler, and Richard A. Long. In future Encyclopedia of the HR 20th anniversary posts, we will continue to explore and document how and why the now-classic volume has remained a favorite among students, educators, and readers in general. Aberjhani Author-Poet-Artist |
AberjhaniWinner of Choice Academic Title Award, Best History Book Award, and Notable Book of the Year Award for Encyclopedia of the Harlem Remaisssance. Archives
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