Gwendolyn Brooks Center

Mission

The Gwendolyn Brooks Center for Black Literature and Creative Writing, founded in 1990, is inspired by the late Gwendolyn Brooks who was a Distinguished Professor of English at CSU for over a decade. The Center is a literary and cultural center invested in researching, teaching, and disseminating information about acclaimed Black writers, especially the life and works of Gwendolyn Brooks (1917 – 2000), former Poet Laureate of Illinois and Distinguished Professor of English at CSU.  

The mission of the Brooks Center is to strengthen the humanities in general and promote the study of Black writers to a local, national, and international community of students, facility, and the general public.

Legacy

Ms. Brooks, a former Poet Laureate of Illinois and the first African American to win the Pulitzer Prize, had a special commitment to young writers from Illinois primary and secondary schools. Through her commitment and efforts, young writers were given the opportunity to be celebrated for their creative talents.  Ms. Brooks’ enhanced, enriched, and embraced language on an international scale. She was awarded over 75 honorary doctorates and was a much sought-after speaker known for her giving and compassionate spirit. 

 

Programs and Services

Poetry Month Festival Gwendolyn Brooks Birthday Celebration Gwendolyn Brooks Black Writers’ Conference Brooks Fellows: Master Classes Various literary events

 

 

Announcements

Chicago State University’s Gwendolyn Brooks Library, Gwendolyn Brooks Center and the College of Arts and Science’s English Department of Fine Arts Program are proud to be partners of Brooks Permissions with the #GlobalGwen Project.  

We are proud of our relationship with the late Professor Gwendolyn Brooks and are honored to be able to share some of our collection as well as some of our favorite Gwendolyn Brooks compositions.

We look forward to expanding our collection of contributions to Global Gwen.  Please check back often for additional postings as well as alerts to programming we will be providing over the next academic year including the first digital format for the Black Writers Conference at Chicago State University in October 2020.

 

Calendar 

Upcoming Events

 

Resources

The Gwendolyn Brooks Center prides itself with viable support and resources from the following:

College of Arts & Sciences Chicago State University Archives WarPLand Brooks Permissions

Charitable Donation 

Support the Gwendolyn Brooks Center

We are thankful for the support of the University and local community. You can help the Center fulfill our mission through your financial contributions, partnerships and volunteering. Financial contributions are greatly needed, appreciated and are tax-deductible.

Online Giving

Online donations can be made privately and securely via credit card through the CSU Foundation. Remember to select “Gwendolyn Brooks Center” in the Designated Donation Box. Click here to donate today.

Giving by Mail

All checks and money orders should be made payable to

  

Contact 

 

 

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