Third World Press (TWP) is the largest independent

black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

-owned press in the United States, founded in 1967 by Haki R. Madhubuti (then known as Don L. Lee), with early support from Johari Amini and Carolyn Rodgers. Since the 1960s, the company has focused on publishing culturally progressive and political books of fiction and non-fiction, poetry, and cross-genre work.

History

Madhubuti recalled a pivotal encounter that led him to publishing. In 1960, as a teenager traveling to sell magazine subscriptions door-to-door, he visited a home in

Springfield, Illinois Springfield is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Illinois. Its population was 114,394 at the 2020 United States census, which makes it the state's List of cities in Illinois, seventh-most populous cit ...

. The door was opened by "a very sophisticated African-American man" who invited him in, fed him, and offered him advice. "He said, 'Young man, the one thing no one can take away from you is an education,'" as Madhubuti recalled. The man encouraged him to enroll in college and gave him $20, about $160 today. Afterwards, Madhubuti said he returned to Chicago "determined to build something of his own". In Chicago, he became active in the

Black Arts Movement The Black Arts Movement (BAM) was an African Americans, African-American-led art movement that was active during the 1960s and 1970s. Through activism and art, BAM created new cultural institutions and conveyed a message of black pride. The mov ...

, within which

Gwendolyn Brooks Gwendolyn Elizabeth Brooks (June 7, 1917 – December 3, 2000) was an American poet, author, and teacher. Her work often dealt with the personal celebrations and struggles of ordinary people in her community. She won the Pulitzer Prize for Poet ...

became a literary mentor and model. In December 1967, Madhubuti met with poet and activist Carolyn Rodgers and Johari Amini in the basement of his South Side apartment in Chicago to launch Third World Press (TWP) as an outlet for

African-American literature African American literature is the body of literature produced in the United States by writers of African descent. Phillis Wheatley was an enslaved African woman who became the first African American to publish a book of poetry, which was publis ...

. With $400 earned from poetry readings, a mimeograph machine, and

Dudley Randall Dudley Randall (January 14, 1914 – August 5, 2000) was an African-American poetry, poet and poetry publisher from Detroit, Michigan. He founded a African-American book publishers in the United States, 1960–80, pioneering publishing company cal ...

's home-based

Broadside Press Broadside Lotus Press is an independent press created from the merger of two Detroit-based publishers Broadside Press, founded by Dudley Randall in 1965; and Naomi Long Madgett's Lotus Press, founded in 1972. At the time of the merger they wer ...

as a business model, Madhubuti began operation. By 2007, the company continued to thrive in a multimillion-dollar facility. It is the stated mission of TWP "to always honor Black writers and artists and to celebrate artists of all cultures". In May 2011, Third World Press developed and launched TWPBooks.com, which replaced the former ThirdWorldPressInc.com. TWPBooks.com leverages the heritage and technological spirit for which Third World Press has come to be known. Under the direction of Madhudbuti, Third World Press has embraced social media and the prevalence of

eBooks An ebook (short for electronic book), also spelled as e-book or eBook, is a book publication made available in electronic form, consisting of text, images, or both, readable on the flat-panel display of computers or other electronic devices. A ...

, while upgrading its internal technologies to better serve customers of Third World Press. In 2015, Madhubuti converted Third World Press into the non-profit Third World Press Foundation. Explaining the change, he told ''

Publishers Weekly ''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of ...

'' that the company "needed a new, more realistic business model for our authors". In addition to its publishing operation, the foundation runs a pair of charter schools and one private school using a curriculum that incorporates African thought and culture that serves children from preschool through eighth grade.

Notable works and authors

Third World Press has published works by Pulitzer Prize-winning author

, as well as by Sonia Sanchez,

Sterling Plumpp Sterling Dominic Plumpp (born January 30, 1940) is an American poet, educator, editor, and critic. He has written numerous books, including ''Hornman'' (1996), ''Harriet Tubman'' (1996), ''Ornate With Smoke'' (1997), ''Half Black, Half Blacker'' ...

and

Pearl Cleage Pearl Cleage ( ; born December 7, 1948) is an African-American playwright, essayist, novelist, poet and political activist.Spratling, Cassandra. "Pearl Cleage's Storied Life Cover Story." Detroit Free Press, Feb 21, 2010. ProQuest. Originally pu ...

. The list of authors published by TWP also includes

Amiri Baraka Amiri Baraka (born Everett Leroy Jones; October 7, 1934 – January 9, 2014), previously known as LeRoi Jones and Imamu Amear Baraka, was an American writer of poetry, drama, fiction, essays, and music criticism. He was the author of numerous b ...

Margaret Walker Margaret Walker (Margaret Abigail Walker Alexander by marriage; July 7, 1915 – November 30, 1998) was an American poet and writer. She was part of the African-American literary movement in Chicago, known as the Chicago Black Renaissance. ...

, Sam Greenlee, Naomi Long Madgett,

Keorapetse Kgositsile Keorapetse William Kgositsile (19 September 1938 – 3 January 2018), also known by his pen name Bra Willie, was a South African Tswana people, Tswana poet, journalist and political activist. An influential member of the African National Congr ...

, Mari Evans,

Kalamu ya Salaam Kalamu ya Salaam (born March 24, 1947) is an American poet, author, filmmaker, and teacher from the 9th Ward of New Orleans. A well-known activist and social critic, Salaam has spoken out on a number of racial and human rights issues. For years ...

Gloria Naylor Gloria Naylor (January 25, 1950 – September 28, 2016) was an American novelist, known for novels including '' The Women of Brewster Place'' (1982)'', Linden Hills'' (1985) and '' Mama Day'' (1988). Early life and education Naylor was born in ...

Gil Scott-Heron Gilbert Scott-Heron (April 1, 1949 – May 27, 2011) was an American Jazz poetry, jazz poet, singer, musician, and author known for his work as a spoken-word performer in the 1970s and 1980s. His collaborative efforts with musician Brian Jackso ...

, Chancellor Williams, George E. Kent and many others. In 2006, '' The Covenant with Black America'', with an introduction by

Tavis Smiley Tavis Smiley (; born September 13, 1964) is an American talk show host and author. Smiley was born in Gulfport, Mississippi, and grew up in Bunker Hill, Indiana. After attending Indiana University Bloomington, Indiana University, he worked durin ...

, reached No. 1 in the ''New York Times'' Best Seller list. The poet Parneshia Jones, director of

Northwestern University Press Northwestern University Press is an American publishing house affiliated with Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. It publishes 70 new titles each year in the areas of continental philosophy, poetry, Slavic and German literary criticis ...

, began her publishing career as an intern at Third World Press.

Notes

External links

Third World Press website.Third World Press Facebook Page
{{Authority control 1967 establishments in Illinois Companies based in Chicago Publishing companies established in 1967 Publishing companies of the United States

History

Notable works and authors

See also

Notes

External links