Haki R. Madhubuti facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Haki R. Madhubuti
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| Born |
Don Luther Lee
February 23, 1942 Little Rock, Arkansas, United States
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| Other names | Don L. Lee |
| Alma mater | Iowa Writers' Workshop |
| Occupation | Poet Author Publisher |
| Known for | Third World Press |
| Movement | Black Arts Movement |
| Spouse(s) | Safisha Madhubuti |
| Awards | American Book Award |
Haki R. Madhubuti (born Don Luther Lee on February 23, 1942) is an important African-American author, teacher, and poet. He is also a publisher and runs bookstores that focus on Black culture. He is famous for starting Third World Press in 1967. This is thought to be the oldest independent Black publishing company in the United States.
Madhubuti is a very popular poet and speaker. He has led workshops and given talks at many colleges, universities, libraries, and community centers. He has done this both in the U.S. and in other countries.
The name Haki means "just" or "justice." Madhubuti means "precise, accurate, and dependable." Both names come from the Swahili language. He changed his name in 1974.
Contents
About Haki R. Madhubuti
His Early Life and Education
Haki R. Madhubuti was born Donald Luther Lee in Little Rock, Arkansas. He changed his name to his Swahili name after visiting Africa in 1974. He grew up in Detroit, Michigan, with his mother. When he was 16, his mother was sadly murdered. Madhubuti says his mother, Maxine, was a big reason for his creativity. She also sparked his interest in Black literature and arts.
After serving in the United States Army from 1960 to 1963, Madhubuti went to college. He earned a Master of Fine Arts degree from the well-known Iowa Writers' Workshop at the University of Iowa.
The Black Arts Movement and Third World Press
From a young age, Madhubuti was very interested in the Black Arts Movement (BAM). This movement included important figures like Richard Wright. Madhubuti became a major part of the Black literary world. He joined BAM in the mid-1960s and has had a lasting impact.
Madhubuti saw that there were not enough resources or places for Black scholars. Because of this, he became a strong supporter of independent Black institutions.
In December 1967, Madhubuti met with Carolyn Rodgers and Johari Amini. They met in a basement apartment in South Side Chicago. Together, they started Third World Press. This company was created to publish African-American literature.
Forty years later, in 2007, the company was still doing very well. It is seen as the largest independent Black publishing house in the U.S. Over the years, Third World Press has published works by many famous authors. These include Pulitzer Prize-winning author Gwendolyn Brooks, as well as Amiri Baraka, Sonia Sanchez, Sterling Plumpp, and Pearl Cleage.
His Writing Style and Books
Haki Madhubuti's poetry is much like that of his mentor, Gwendolyn Brooks. His poems often have a strong rhythm and an experimental style. He frequently uses free verse, which means the poems do not have a regular rhyme or meter.
Like Brooks, Madhubuti's writing changed over time. At first, his poems were more about personal feelings. Later, they became more about political and social issues. He has written many poems dedicated to Gwendolyn Brooks. He also helped start and used to direct the Gwendolyn Brooks Center for Black Literature and Creative Writing.
Over the years, he has published 28 books. Some of these were under his earlier name, "Don L. Lee." He is still one of the world's best-selling authors of poetry and non-fiction. His books have sold more than 3 million copies.
Madhubuti also helped edit two books of writing from Gallery 37. These were The Spirit (1998) and Describe the Moment (2000). His poems and essays were published in over 30 collections between 1997 and 2001. He also wrote Tough Notes: A Healing Call For Creating Exceptional Black Men (2002).
Perhaps his most famous work is Black Men: Obsolete, Single, Dangerous?: The African American Family in Transition. This non-fiction book is about social issues facing African Americans. It was published in 1990 and has sold over 1,000,000 copies.
Other Important Projects
Besides helping to start a publishing company, Madhubuti also co-founded other important projects. With Larry Neal, he helped create the Black Books Bulletin. He also started the Institute of Positive Education/New Concept Development Center in 1969. In 1998, he helped establish the Betty Shabazz International Charter School in Chicago, Illinois.
He is also a founder and board member of the National Association of Black Book Publishers. He is a founder and chairman of the board of The International Literary Hall of Fame for Writers of African Descent. Madhubuti also founded and directs the National Black Writers Retreat. Before he stepped down, he was a Distinguished University Professor. He also co-founded and directed the Gwendolyn Brooks Center for Black Literature and Creative Writing. He directed the Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing program at Chicago State University.
His Personal Life
Madhubuti's 2005 book, Yellow Black, is an autobiographical novel. It tells the story of the first 21 years of his life. He currently lives in Chicago with his wife, Safisha (Carol D. Lee). She is a retired professor from Northwestern University.
Awards and Honors
Haki Madhubuti has received many awards and honors. These include:
- The Distinguished Writers Award from the Middle Atlantic Writers Association (1984)
- The American Book Award (1991)
- The African-American Arts Alliance award (1993)
- Fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts
- Fellowships from the National Endowment for the Humanities
Selected Publications
- Dynamite Voices I: Black Poets of the 1960s (essays; Detroit, MI: Broadside Press, 1971)
- (Editor, with P. L. Brown and F. Ward) To Gwen with Love (Chicago, IL: Johnson Publishing, 1971)
- Book of Life (poems; Detroit, MI: Broadside Press, 1973)
- Killing Memory, Seeking Ancestors (poems; Lotus, 1987)
- Black Men: Obsolete, Single, Dangerous?: The African American Family in Transition (1990)
- GroundWork: New and Selected Poems 1966–1996 (Chicago, IL: Third World Press, 1996)
- (Editor, with Karenga) Million Man March/Day of Absence: A Commemorative Anthology (foreword by Gwendolyn Brooks and introduction by Bakari Kitwana; Chicago, IL: Third World Press, 1996)
- HeartLove: Wedding and Love Poems (Chicago, IL: Third World Press, 1998)
- Tough Notes: A Healing Call for Creating Exceptional Black Men: Affırmations, Meditations, Readings, and Strategies (Chicago, IL: Third World Press, 2002)
- Yellow Black: The First Twenty-One Years of a Poet's Life (2005)
