1970 – Launch of Black World Journal’s “Pan-African Issue”

On May 29, 1970, Black World (formerly Negro Digest) released its special “Pan-African Issue,” featuring essays and poetry from across the African diaspora. This groundbreaking edition emphasized cultural unity, political solidarity, and resistance movements from Ghana to the Caribbean to the U.S. civil rights and Black Power fronts. Writers like Amiri Baraka, Sylvia Wynter, and Ng?g? wa Thiong\’o contributed revolutionary perspectives that defined global Black consciousness during the post-colonial era. The issue also covered the rise of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) and the role of arts in liberation struggles. This publication helped shape Pan-African discourse during a crucial time of global unrest and anti-imperial momentum. May 29 marks the elevation of diasporic literary voices that unified African-descended people across borders through print culture, demonstrating the power of media in shaping Black internationalist identity and collective purpose.