Press Release: Fresno native, poet-playwright Marvin X will speak at the Hinton Center

For immediate release
Contact: Pamela Young King,
President, Fresno Chapter, NAACP
559-824-3661

Press Release

The Fresno Chapter of the NAACP is proud to present an afternoon with poet-playwright, activist, educator, free thinker, archivist, healer, Marvin X, a Fresno native who graduated with honors from Edison High School, 1962. Marvin X was hired by the Black Studies Department at Fresno State University, 1969, but was removed on orders of then Governor Ronald Reagan. Since then, Marvin X has lectured at UC Berkeley, UC San Diego, San Francisco State University, University of Nevada, Reno, Mills College, Kings River College and elsewhere.

The author of 30 books, he is one of the most prolific writers in the world. The Last Poets say he writes a book per month. He penned his memoir of Eldridge Cleaver in three weeks. A few of his titles include Love and War, poems, 1995, Somethin' Proper, autobiography, 1998, In the Crazy House Called America, essays, 2002, How to Recover from the Addiction to White Supremacy, 2006, Beyond Religion, toward Spirituality, 2007, My friend the Devil, a memoir of Eldridge Cleaver, 2009.

His projects include Academy of da Corner, 14th and Broadway, downtown Oakland, and the Community Archives Project that organizes archives and educates common people on the importance of preserving their family archives.

Marvin X is co-producer (with Kim McMillan) of the upcoming Black Arts Movement Conference at the University of California, Merced, Feb 28 thru March 2, 2014. He recently spoke at the funeral of his long time friend, poet/activist Amiri Baraka.

On Saturday, February 22, 3pm, Marvin X will speak, read and dialogue with FCC professor emeritus Kehindi Solwazi at the Hinton Center, 2385 S. Fairview Ave. Fresno CA. This is a free event. For more information, please call 559- 263-1367.

Sponsors include NAACP, Salaam Seafoods, Black Chamber of Commerce, Black Bird Press Books,
Fresno Advocate Newspaper, Feed My Sheep Ministries, Community Archives Project, Paradigm Printers, Black Arts Movement Conference, UC Merced.