Explore Black History

1969

A first edition, third printing of the Black Poetry anthology edited by Dudley Randall. The paperback book has a plain black front cover with white text. Large type at the top reads: [BLACK POETRY / EDITED BY DUDLEY RANDALL] followed by a white line. Most of the cover has smaller white text listing the titles of poems and the names of poets. Included are: Ahmed Alhamisi, Samuel Allen, Arna Bontemps, Gwendolyn Brooks, Countee Cullen, Margaret Danner, Ebon Ray Durem, James A. Emanuel, Nikki Giovanni, Robert Hayden, Leroi Jones (Amiri Baraka), Etheridge Knight, Don Lee (Haki R. Madhubuti), Doughtry Long, Claude McKay, Clarence Major, Dudley Randall, Sonia Sanchez, Melvin B. Tolson, Jean Toomer, Margaret Walker, Naomi Madgett, Edward S. Spriggs, and Langston Hughes. Along the bottom is another white line with [BROADSIDE PRESS] at left and [NINETY_FIVE CENTS] at right. There are forty-eight (48) interior pages total, all white with black type. There are no photographs or illustrations. The back cover is also plain black with white text including two paragraphs providing a summary of the book and a single paragraph biography of Dudley Randall. The summary begins “Because students at the University of Michigan complained that anthologies used in introductory poetry courses contained no Black poets, Broadside Press was asked to make a small collection.” At bottom is the full title and the address for Broadside Press.

National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection

Books and Published Materials

BAM (Black Arts Movement 1965-1976)

Making a Way Out of No Way

NMAAHC (1400 Constitution Ave NW), National Mall Location, Community/Third Floor, 3 050

Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture

National Museum of African American History and Culture

2025.60

paperbacks

ink on paper

H x W x D (closed): 8 1/2 × 5 1/2 × 3/16 in. (21.6 × 14 × 0.5 cm)
H x W x D (open): 8 1/2 × 63 7/16 × 3/16 in. (21.6 × 161.1 × 0.5 cm)

Title • Black Poetry: a Supplement to Anthologies Which Exclude Black Poets

nmaahc_2025.60

NMAAHC

BLACK POETRY: A SUPPLEMENT TO ANTHOLOGIES WHICH EXCLUDE BLACK POETS

National Museum of African American History and Culture

CC0

1960s

Cullen, Countee • Hayden, Robert • Long Madgett, Naomi • McKay, Claude • Giovanni, Nikki • Hughes, Langston • Sanchez, Sonia • Brooks, Gwendolyn • Durem, Ramón • Tolson, Melvin Beaunorus • Madhubuti, Haki R. • Alhamisi, Ahmed Akinwole • Baraka, Amiri • Broadside Press • Allen, Samuel • Danner, Margaret Esse • Toomer, Jean • Bontemps, Arnaud Wendell • Knight, Etheridge • Major, Clarence • Randall, Dudley • Long, Doughtry • Emanuel, James Andrew • Spriggs, Edward S. • Dooley, Ebon

Detroit • United States • North and Central America • Wayne County • Michigan

Resistance • Literature • Black Press • U.S. History, 1961-1969 • BAM (Black Arts Movement 1965-1976) • Poetry • Black power

NMAAHC • Making a Way Out of No Way

City • Detroit • County • Wayne County • State • Michigan • Country • United States • Continent • North and Central America

Yes

Images

Research in Progress