Yale University Acquires the Records of the Cave Canem Foundation

history_dogThe Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library at Yale University has acquired the records of Cave Canem Foundation, an organization that supports the field of African American poetry and nurtures Black poets. The foundation was founded in 1996 by Toi Derricotte and Cornelius Eady. The organization has grown from an initial membership of 26 poets to a group of nearly 400. The foundation holds an annual conference at the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg. Cave Canem means “Beware of the Dog.”

The Cave Canem Foundation archive contains paper and digital office files and records, including correspondence, financial reports, and operational materials documenting such activities as fundraising, governance, programming, and publication projects.

GoldsbyJacqueline Goldsby, professor of English and acting chair of the department of African American studies at Yale, said that “since its inception, Cave Canem has been a pioneering force in shaping contemporary African American letters. Its records are an important and exciting resource for innovative research and scholarship in African American literature and culture of the late 20th century and beyond. I can’t wait for our literature faculty and students to teach with and write about these archives.”

“The Cave Canem archive is an incomparable record of the African American poetry community over the past two decades,” adds Nancy Kuhl, curator of poetry for the Yale Collection of American Literature at the Beinecke Library. “We welcome the opportunity to both serve the Cave Canem community as steward and caretaker of its archival record, and to collaborate as partners in preserving and promoting the archive for future poets, readers, students, and scholars.”

Related Articles

Leave a Reply

Get the JBHE Weekly Bulletin

Receive our weekly email newsletter delivered to your inbox

Latest News

California State University Sacramento Launches Black Honors College

Officially launching for the fall 2024 semester, the Black Honors College will support students from all backgrounds who study Black history, life, and culture by providing them with a specialized curriculum and mentoring opportunities.

Higher Education Gifts or Grants of Interest to African Americans

Here is this week’s news of grants or gifts to historically Black colleges and universities or for programs of particular interest to African Americans in higher education.

In Memoriam: Norman B. Anderson, 1955-2024

Dr. Anderson was the assistant vice president for research and academic affairs at Florida State University at the time of his death. He had an extensive career in clinical psychology, which led him to become the first African American chief executive officer of the American Psychological Association.

Georgia State University Launches Program to Support Black Women in Tech

While Black women account for roughly 29 percent of the Georgia State University undergradaute student body, they represent only 10 percent of the university's computer science majors and 18 percent of the computer information systems majors.

Featured Jobs