Jane T. Lemann, born in 1919, earned a psychology degree from Bryn Mawr.
Nkombo a “little magazine” of the Black Arts Movement
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Literary magazines, also known as “little magazines” have been publishing experimental literature and non-conformist writings since the late 19th Century. Popular throughout the early to late-20th Century, these magazines filled the void of commercial magazine publishing with avant-garde poetry and prose that stretched the boundaries of acceptable societal and moral norms and behavior. Many literary greats, such as Ernest Hemmingway and James Joyce got their start in “little magazines.”
Nkombo, an important contribution to the Black Arts Movement in the south, published in nine issues between 1968 to 1974, was the brain child of New Orleans poets and writers, Tom Dent and Kalamu ya Salaam (aka Val Ferdinand). The first issue of the magazine was published in 1968 as Echoes from the Gumbo with content from the Free Southern Theater’s community poetry and writing workshops, conducted by Tom Dent and Bob “Big Daddy” Costley. Quickly, the magazine’s name was changed to Nkombo, a word in Bantu and the origin of the English word “Gumbo.” It provided a forum for not only New Orleans black writers, but a collective of writers throughout the south.
The magazine was published by Nkombo Publications, the literary arm of BLACKARTSOUTH, the community writing and acting workshop of the Free Southern Theater. The BLACARTSOUTH group was a way for emerging black poets and playwrights to develop and showcase their work and performances were held at a variety of venues throughout the south. Nkombo’s content covered a range of issues including race relations, sexuality, politics, and violence, often using profanity and shocking word usage. Nkombo writers drew from local settings and traditions; music, poverty, and daily strife were often highlighted in the poetry and prose. The magazine featured female writers, such as Alice Walker and Margaret Walker Alexander. Other writers published in Nkombo, include David Henderson, Keorapetse Kgositsile, and Octave Lilly.
Images from the Nkombo Publications Records, Amistad’s website, newsletters, and blogs cannot be reproduced without permission.
#blackartsmovement #AfricanAmericanliterature #AfricanAmericanwriters #TomDent #KalamuyaSalaam
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Kathe Hambrick is the Founder and former Executive Director of the River Road African American Museum (RRAAM), established in 1994 as Louisiana’s first African American Museum. She is a past President of the national Association of African American Museums (AAAM). She served as the Chief Curator and Director of Interpretation for the West Baton Rouge Museum for four years. Hambrick was born in New Orleans and spent half her life in California where she received an undergraduate degree in English and a minor in African American Studies from California State University Long Beach.
Hambrick is a Public Historian with a passion for collecting, preserving and interpreting history for diverse audiences. Her thirty-one-year career as a museum professional includes expertise in program development, interpretative planning, curation, grant writing, fundraising, and board governance. She led the effort to preserve three slave cemeteries and six historic buildings in Ascension Parish.
She is considered an expert on the history and culture of African Americans in communities along the Mississippi River. Kathe Hambrick’s interviews include local, national, and international media, the BBC Learning Channel, CBS Morning News, National Public Radio, and the New York Times. The consulting firm, 2PRESERVE was established by Hambrick in 2021 to provide cultural resources and guidance to corporations, museums, cultural centers, government agencies, and faith-based organizations.
Throughout her 31-year career, Kathe has curated over one hundred exhibits, including The Rural Roots of Jazz, African Influences on Louisiana Cuisine, Creole Du Monde, and The Square Collection which featured original art by Elizabeth Catlett, Jacob Lawrence, Richmond Barthé, and Tina Allen. Her most recent exhibit is the GU272 of Ascension: The Jesuit and Episcopal Connection to Slavery.
Kathe is the author and co-author of several books:
Kathe Hambrick is the Founder and former Executive Director of the River Road African American Museum (RRAAM), established in 1994 as Louisiana’s first African American Museum. She is a past President of the national Association of African American Museums (AAAM). She served as the Chief Curator and Director of Interpretation for the West Baton Rouge Museum for four years. Hambrick was born in New Orleans and spent half her life in California where she received an undergraduate degree in English and a minor in African American Studies from California State University Long Beach.
Hambrick is a Public Historian with a passion for collecting, preserving and interpreting history for diverse audiences. Her thirty-one-year career as a museum professional includes expertise in program development, interpretative planning, curation, grant writing, fundraising, and board governance. She led the effort to preserve three slave cemeteries and six historic buildings in Ascension Parish.
She is considered an expert on the history and culture of African Americans in communities along the Mississippi River. Kathe Hambrick’s interviews include local, national, and international media, the BBC Learning Channel, CBS Morning News, National Public Radio, and the New York Times. The consulting firm, 2PRESERVE was established by Hambrick in 2021 to provide cultural resources and guidance to corporations, museums, cultural centers, government agencies, and faith-based organizations.
Throughout her 31-year career, Kathe has curated over one hundred exhibits, including The Rural Roots of Jazz, African Influences on Louisiana Cuisine, Creole Du Monde, and The Square Collection which featured original art by Elizabeth Catlett, Jacob Lawrence, Richmond Barthé, and Tina Allen. Her most recent exhibit is the GU272 of Ascension: The Jesuit and Episcopal Connection to Slavery.
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