The aim of the symposium was to bring together writers and activists from that era to talk about the influential alignments, cross-currents among them, and tell us what goals we can now understand as shared even if the means differed at that time. The impact of that era on African American literature has been called a "furious flowering." A clear discussion of the insights from this past is necessary for us to continue forward with this harvest.

The symposium on October 16, 2007 focused on the midwestern centers of the movement. The panelists are: Angela Jackson, poet, novelist and playwright; Sterling Plumpp, poet, scholar, editor and activist; Carolyn Rodgers, poet, feminist and educator; and Sala Udin, Freedom Rider, actor in the establishment of the Pittsburgh Black Horizons Theatre, under the direction of his childhood friends, Rob Penny and August Wilson, elected member of the Pittsburgh City Council, where he served for 11 years. The leader of the discussion and organizer of the symposium is Ed Roberson. Roberson is the author of seven volumes of poetry, including Voices Cast Out to Talk Us In, winner of the Iowa Poetry Prize; Just In: Word of Navigational Change: New and Selected Work; Atmosphere Conditions, a National Poetry Series winner; and his most recent book, City Eclogue. His honors include a Lila Wallace-Reader's Digest Writer's Award. He was the fall quarter Visiting Writer in Residence at the Center for the Writing Arts.

Co-sponsored by the Center for the Writing Arts, the Department of The African-American Studies, English Department, Political Science Department, and the Weinberg School of Arts and Sciences.

The symposium footage is divided into seven sections for viewing. Please watch each video for complete footage:
1. Welcome and Introduction
2. Angela Jackson Talk
3. Sterling Plumpp Talk
4. Carolyn Rodgers Talk
5. Sala Udin Talk
6. Question and Answer Portion of Symposium
7. Response Section ____

▶️ Subscribe: https://bit.ly/NorthwesternUYTSubscribe

Follow Northwestern on social media:
-Instagram:   / northwesternu  
-TikTok:   / northwestern.u  
-Twitter/X:   / northwesternu  
-LinkedIn:   / northwestern-university  
-Facebook:   / northwesternu  

Northwestern on the Web:
-Northwestern Homepage: https://northwestern.edu
-Northwestern Now News: https://news.northwestern.edu
-Northwestern Magazine: https://magazine.northwestern.edu