Ralph Ellison Center opens at Bard College in New York

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 30 Oct, 13:39 · Archive

Bard College in New York's Hudson Valley has opened a center dedicated to Ralph Ellison, the Black literary figure whose work explored race and identity in America.

Bard College in New York's Hudson Valley has opened a centre dedicated to Ralph Ellison, the Black literary figure whose exploration of race, identity and belonging helped reshape modern Black literature. The Ralph Ellison Center opened its doors late last month on the school's campus in Annandale-on-Hudson, about two hours' drive north of New York City.

The centre was established thanks to a $3.6 million donation from the Ralph and Fanny Ellison Charitable Trust. Ellison taught American and Russian literature at Bard from 1958 to 1961, which the trust identified as one reason the college was suitable to house his legacy. The idea for the centre emerged during a four-hour lunch between John F. Callahan, executor of the Ellison estate, and Nicholas Alton Lewis, Bard's associate dean.

Bard now holds all intellectual rights and royalties from Ellison's oeuvre, including his 1952 novel 'Invisible Man', the only novel published during his lifetime. The trust will soon begin winding down before closing. Donn Zaretsky, the trust's legal representative, said Bard would allow different aspects of Ellison's intellectual life to interact, offering students, artists and scholars the opportunity to find new uses for his legacy.

How it is being reported

• Black literary luminary Ralph Ellison's works have a new home at Bard CollegeBard College in New York's Hudson Valley has opened a center dedicated to Ralph Ellison, a key figure in Black arts and literature.Clickorlando · 30 Oct, 13:03
• Black literary luminary Ralph Ellison's works have a new home at Bard CollegeBard College in New York's Hudson Valley has opened a center dedicated to Ralph Ellison, a key figure in Black arts and literature.News4Jax · 30 Oct, 13:03

In this story: Ralph Ellison · Bard College · Annandale-on-Hudson · New York · Harlem

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