glowchild - a belated birthday tribute to ruby dee, october 27, 2011
- Though known as a celebrated actress/activist, Ruby’s earliest interest in the arts was through her poetry, which was published in the Amsterdam News.
- Ruby Dee’s 1st book publication as author/editor is GLOWCHILD and OTHER POEMS from 1972.
- John Henrik Clarke, editor of Freedomways, was instrumental in reacquainting Ruby with her long time passion for poetry through this editorship opportunity.
- The book includes poems from junior high and high school students in Ruby’s neighborhood, New Rochelle, alongside poems by herself, John Henrik Clarke, Abiodun Oyewole, Margaret Burroughs et al.
- Glowchild was later made into a young audience TV special, Today is Ours. Harry Belafonte , young writers included in the book and the entire Davis family contributed creative skills to the production.
- The Third Press, publisher of Glowchild, also published Katherine Dunham, Chinua Achebe, Angela Davis and many others throughout the 70’s & 80’s.
- Joseph Okpaku, owner of The Third Press, is currently a renowned player in the realm of African telecommunications development.
Dee, Ruby. Glowchild, and Other Poems. New York: Third Press, Joseph Okpaku Pub. Co, 1972. Print.
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-a place to highlight African-American and Diasporic culture through items in my collection.
DOCUMENTS ON PAPER.
RADICAL HISTORY.
EPHEMERA.
TALK AMONGST YOURSELVES.
