BROOKLYN, NY – Cave Canem—a nonprofit committed to cultivating the artistic and professional growth of Black poets—has released Magnitude & Bond: A Field Study on Black Literary Arts Organizations. The study produced seven key findingsthat help uncover how these organizations have been able to thrive, what is needed to ensure their survival, the unique and necessary value they provide to Black writers, and what steps institutional funders can take to help ensure their survival. Magnitude & Bond was led by Cave Canem in partnership with Ithaka S+R and funded by The Wallace Foundation. Cave Canem will release the Field Study to the public through a series of public events from April 5-6, 2025 in Washington D.C. Further details below.
The study surveyed leaders from withinGetting Word: Black Literature for Black Liberation, a collective of five Black literary service organizations formed to galvanize long-term monetary support and call attention to their existence and importance. Convened in 2021 by Cave Canem, the collective represents over 140 years of dedication to Black writers.
“To date, there has been no holistic assessment to discern and document the strategies and tactics employed by literary arts service organizations serving communities of color,” said Lisa Willis, Executive Director of Cave Canem, in the study’s foreword. “Research into the challenges faced by Black literary organizations is crucial for addressing the cyclical ongoing issues of underfunding and underappreciation. By filling knowledge gaps and providing actionable insights, this research can offer valuable guidance to these organizations and contribute to building a more sustainable literary ecosystem.”
The study confirmed what has long been known by the leaders of these organizations: “culturally specific literary organizations exist on the most limited budgets relative to other parts of the cultural sector. Together, organizations within the collective have a budget of under $4 million, with most organizations operating on a yearly budget of less than $500,000.”
As such, “40 percent of leadership positions within the collective are fulfilled through volunteer arrangements…and most employees work on a part-time basis.” This has obvious negative implications for the health and well-being of said leaders, who often juggle additional employment, as well as the sustainability and growth of the organizations they run. The scarcity of flexible funding and salaried positions results in chronic underinvestment in critical infrastructure, directly affecting the quality and scope of services these organizations can provide. The study notes, “resources from institutional funders are typically allocated to specific programs rather than general operating expenses. The financial sustainability and growth of these organizations can be more adequately improved if more philanthropic dollars are devoted to general operations by foundations.”
This feeds into another key finding produced by the study: “developing a flexible strategic plan and formal succession plan is essential for advancing and sustaining organizational stability over time. Only three of the five organizations reported engaging in strategic planning efforts (with varied levels of progress) but none of the organizations had yet established a formal succession plan at the time of the study. An increase in general operating support from funders could support the implementation of these plans and significantly enhance the ability of organizations like those in the collective to adapt to evolving community needs and ensure continuity in their missions.”
The study also analyzed the remarkable resilience of these organizations and found their “longevity and success are deeply rooted in the lessons inherited from the legacy and perseverance of their ancestors.” Magnitude & Bond found that the formation of the collective itself was an important contemporary step in this history, stating it “represent[s] a powerful and strategic move toward long-term sustainability. Drawing on their respective areas of expertise, the leaders of these organizations united with a shared purpose: to preserve the legacies of their own institutions, those of their peers, and the pioneers who came before them.”
As stated in the study, “Black literary arts organizations have long served as vital spaces for nurturing writers of color, with their origins tracing back to a time even before Emancipation. The essential nature of these organizations is the role they play in creating community, advancing networks, and safe space-making. In response to the exclusionary practices of traditional literary institutions, organizations like those within the collective emerged to create dedicated spaces for Black writers—spaces where their craft could be both celebrated and supported.” Magnitude & Bond represents a crucial step in documenting the legacy of these organizations and their ability to service communities of Black writers amid challenging economic circumstances. By uncovering the urgent needs of these organizations and providing actionable recommendations for funders, the study provides a path to help ensure the survival of the collective, and similar organizations, for generations to come.
Magnitude & Bond was funded by The Wallace Foundation as part of its ongoing initiative, Advancing Well-Being in the Arts. To date, the Foundation has invested over $13 million for studies within the initiative, which will produce a total of 45 new studies for the field.
Legacy Series: Black Literary Institution Building Post-Black Arts Movement & Pre-Cave Canem
April 5, 2025 at 2:00PM ET
Howard University | Moorland-Spingarn Research Center, 500 Howard Pl NW, Washington, DC 20001
The Legacy Series features eminent poets and scholars who have played historic roles in African American poetry. Moderated discussions address historical, aesthetic, political and personal influences on their craft and thought. This year we are pleased to present Sterling Plumpp, distinguished poet, professor, editor and critic in conversation with the esteemed Dr. Duriel E. Harris, poet and editor of Obsidian: Literature & Arts in the African Diaspora.
“each other’s harvest”: mix and mingle
April 6, 2025 at 2:00PM ET
The National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC), Oprah Winfrey Theater, 1400 Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20560
The title of Magnitude and Bond: A Field Study on Black Literary Arts Organizations derives from a line in Gwendolyn Brooks’ poem, Paul Robeson, which speaks to the importance of community building as a sustainability practice. Join Cave Canem for a mix and mingle ahead of the event, “’each other’s harvest’: an afternoon of poetry, community, and address” as we celebrate our community and the launch of Magnitude and Bond.
“each other’s harvest”: an afternoon of poetry, community, and address
April 6, 2025 at 1:00PM ET
The National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC), Oprah Winfrey Theater, 1400 Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20560
For the last two years, Cave Canem has been leading Magnitude & Bond: A Field Study on Black Literary Arts Service Organizations. The study reveals key insights on the organizational needs, strategies, and models that enable Black literary organizations in the United States to thrive despite adverse socioeconomic conditions. Hosted by Yahdon Israel, Lisa Willis, co-Principal Investigator and Executive Director of Cave Canem, presents on the release of this historic study to the public, followed by a keynote address by Jermaine Fowler.
RESEARCH TEAM
- Lisa Willis, Co-Principal Investigator; Executive Director, Cave Canem
- Mark McBride, Co-Principal Investigator; Director for Libraries, Scholarly Communications, and Museums, Ithaka S+R
- Deirdre Harkins, Senior Analyst, Ithaka S+R
- Liam Sweeney, Researcher, Ithaka S+R
- Herman Beavers, Literary Expert, Professor of English and Africana Studies at the University of Pennsylvania, and Cave Canem Fellow (1996)
- Shelagh Patterson, Literary Expert, Lecturer Doctoral Schedule at Medgar Evers College-CUNY, and Cave Canem Fellow (2002)
WORKING GROUP MEMBERS
- Khadijah Ali-Coleman, Former Executive Director of The Hurston/Wright Foundation
- Lauren K. Alleyne, Executive Director of Furious Flower Poetry Center
- Duriel E. Harris, Editor in Chief of Obsidian: Literature & Arts in the African Diaspora
- Nichelle M. Hayes, Interim Executive Director of The Hurston/Wright Foundation
- Candace G. Wiley, Executive Director of The Watering Hole Poetry Org.
- Lisa Willis, Executive Director of Cave Canem
ABOUT CAVE CANEM
Cave Canem is a nonprofit organization, committed to cultivating the artistic and professional growth of Black poets. Founded by artists for artists, Cave Canem fosters community across the diaspora to enrich the field by facilitating a nurturing space in which to learn, experiment, create and present. Cave Canem develops audiences for Black voices that have worked and are working in the craft of poetry.
ABOUT ITHAKA S+R
Ithaka S+R helps academic and cultural communities serve the public good and navigate economic, technological and demographic change. Ithaka S+R is part of ITHAKA, a nonprofit with a mission to improve access to knowledge and education for people around the world.
ABOUT THE WALLACE FOUNDATION
Based in New York City, The Wallace Foundation is an independent national philanthropy whose mission is to help all communities build a more vibrant and just future by fostering advances in the arts, education leadership, and youth development. Wallace aims to help solve problems facing the fields in which it works, benefiting both the organizations it funds directly and the broader field by developing credible, useful knowledge to inform policy and practice nationwide. Research commissioned and produced by the foundation is available without charge at www.wallacefoundation.org.