Third World Press is a non-profit publishing house, committed to highlighting culturally progressive and politically insightful books about the Black experience.
Founder Haki Madhubuti is a leading poet and one of the architects of the Black Arts Movement.
“I founded Third World Press in my basement apartment in Englewood in 1967 with $400 and a mimeograph machine," says Dr. Haki Madhubuti, a poet and writer in his own right, with more than 36 published works.
A few years after starting Third World Press, Dr. Madhubuti and his wife founded the Institute of Positive Education and opened three schools. He credits his success to hard work and help from mentors, including the late poet Gwendolyn Brooks as well as the late Margaret Burroughs, who founded the DuSable Museum of African American History.
He recalls his first meeting Brooks, when he asked her to critique one of his books.
“She looked at the book and put it to her heart and said, 'Young man, I’m going to read this tonight.'” explains Madhubuti.
From that point on, the two Madhubuti and Brooks never looked back.
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"That started a 33 year familyhood and she became my cultural mother.”
Michelle Boone, president of The Poetry Foundation, said Ms. Brooks left a big name publishing house to have Third World Press publish her work.
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“Not only has he made significant contributions with his own writings and his own poems, he’s really been instrumental in providing a platform for other poets,” Boone said/
Illinois’ current poet laureate, Angela Jackson, had her first book published by Third World Press back in the early 1970’s, as well as her current book, "Miracle and the Fellas."
“It is devoted to the literature that truly represents African American people, that represents us as we are and as we aspire to be,” Jackson said.
Both Angela Jackson and Haki Madhubuti are receiving The Poetry Foundation’s prestigious Pegasus Award for their outstanding lifetime achievements.
On Saturday, Third World Press will be holding an open house to celebrate 55 years of independent Black publishing.
