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English professor Lauren Allenye also serves as an assistant director.

Even beyond its decennial conferences, the FFPC is very active - both on and off campus. The many activities it hosts includes poetry camps during the summer for the youth, workshops, and visits for poets. Aside from its substantial collection of Black poetry, the Center also has an online journal titled The Fight & the Fiddle.

Conferences
The first conference included more than 30 poets. Among these were Nikki Giovanni, Gwendolyn Brooks, Amiri Baraka, and Sonya Sanchez. This event sparked the beginning of a contemporary Black renaissance.

Over 300 scholars traveled to JMU’s campus to attend the FFPC’s third conference, lasting for four days and consisting of concerts, readings, gallery receptions, panels, and group discussions. The University was also very involved in the event, contributing more than ⅓ of the budget. In addition to financial resources, many students, teachers and faculty members devoted their time to the event.

Partnerships
Bringing the celebration of Black poetry along with it, the FFPC celebrated its 25th anniversary at the opening of The Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture’s fall programming. Black poets such as Nikki Giovanni, Yusef Komunyakaa, Sonia Sanchez, Gregory Pardlo, Terrance Hayes, Tyehimba Jess, and the Swazi Poets of South Africa performed some of their pieces. In addition to this, the FFPC hosted workshops and discussions to further recognize Black literature. There were also opportunities to purchase the works of these writers at the event.

The FFPC held a tribute to the late poet Lucille Clifton, a prestigious Black female writer and a recipient of the 2000 National Book Award for Poetry. The event was also another partnership with an outside organization, Virginia Tech Steger Poetry Prize. Director Joanne Gabbin personally worked with Nikki Giovanni to plan this tribute. Beautifully coordinated, 73 poems were read to commemorate each year of the Clifton’s life. In addition, the Center called on other Black women poets to read her work, showcasing the tradition of Black women intellect.

Target Stores, Inc. partnered with the FFPC, Maya Angelou and the Poetry Foundation to create an online curriculum where students could have public access to a collection of Black literature. They also hosted several King Day Events throughout the United States with a goal of raising the recognition of Black achievements and societal contributions. One of these events was hosted at Morehouse College in Atlanta, GA, King’s alma mater.

The FFPC is included in a partnership with the University of Kansas to create another academic center that will spur the recognition of Black literary intellect. A grant of $189,000 from the National Endowment for the Humanities was given to the University of Kansas to fund an institute that would focus on the teaching and appreciation of African-American poetry. The FFPC partners with KU by sharing its collection of Black literature with the institute. The two collaborated again to create a federally funded three-week program within the institute, “Don't Deny My Voice: Reading and Teaching African American Poetry." Twenty-five teachers were selected to attend.