Meet our Founder

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Throughout the history of America, Black writing has been prominent. Indeed, the literary eloquence and vigor of Black prose and verse have shaped the very fabric of American history. Black literary arts have been integral to America's social and political transformation. During every period of American contradiction and struggle, Black writers have exposed on paper what the country and world refused to acknowledge publicly. The literary works of many Black men and women entrapped in America's storied past have provided the framework for America's present human rights progress and civil discourse.

America has a long way to go in reaching the righteous pinnacle of equality for all, particularly Black people; therefore, we need a new generation of readers and writers who will pen the story of our love, struggle, life, and progress. All adults have the duty to model and inspire our youth to read and write well. Reading expands one's vocabulary, enhances writing skills, and provides a venue of relief from the present chaos of now. Writing for many is transformative; it channels innovation and creativity and forges relationships and understanding. We, that is, adults, owe this gift to youth, to ourselves, and to those who don't have the knowledge, resources, or wherewithal to appreciate the value of writing and reading.

At one point in American history, society denied Black people the human right to read or write. But, because of the innate drive to satisfy the unquenchable thirst for self-determination, our ancestors taught themselves how to read and write in righteous defiance of the law and in the face of fatal repercussions. Now, at the dawn of the 21st century, we struggle to get our youth off social media sites and pick up a book or write a letter to a loved one. As the world evolves, we must not allow our values to become extinct. Proper grammar and sentence structure are paramount in lucid communication. Slang, cultural vernacular, and poetic license can be effective means of communication, and we must respect their value. Yet, in this day and age of urban under and miseducation, it is imperative that our children are prepared in the highest regard to be successful contributing world citizens. And writing and reading are fundamental tools necessary to achieve personal, soulful, and career success.

If we don't write our feelings, dilemmas, predicaments, struggles, and history, who will? Who can we trust, other than ourselves, to chronicle our place in world history? To whom shall we leave the task of writing truth to those in power? How can a people survive without this venerable tool of communication? For millennia, Black people utilized writing not only as a means of self-expression but also as an outlet for introspection, therapy, self-control, preparation, and protest. We can't stop now! We must plant the seed, cultivate another thought, and raise another giant. Raise not one but many that will contribute to the one giant story of our people. Black people are a people of substance, ingenuity, and architecture. We live a story of accomplishment, credentials, grandeur and greatness, stress and struggle, resistance and resilience. We live in the present as proof of the aforementioned, and we must prepare our children to continue along the path cleared by literary giants who have commissioned us to blaze trails of change. Love our young and teach them to read better. Embrace our youth and teach them to write well. It is our duty and obligation for "Writers are the Narrators of History."

Supreme D. Dow

Founder and Executive Director

Black Writers Museum