Broadside Lotus Press
Broadside Lotus Press is a Detroit-based independent publisher formed through the 2015 merger of Broadside Press and Lotus Press, with a focus on African American poetry and literature.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Broadside Lotus Press is an independent literary publisher based in Detroit, Michigan. The organization was created in 2015 through the combination of two longstanding Black-owned publishing institutions: Broadside Press, founded by poet and librarian Dudley Randall in 1965, and Lotus Press, founded by poet Naomi Long Madgett in 1972. The merger brought together two complementary traditions in African American literary publishing and continued Detroit’s role as an important center for Black cultural and literary activity. Broadside Press began as a vehicle for presenting African American poetry to a broad audience in accessible, visually distinctive formats. Randall initially published individual poems as 8.5-by-11-inch broadsides, helping poetry circulate outside conventional book-publishing channels. The press was launched with Randall’s “The Ballad of Birmingham” and subsequently issued work by a wide range of major Black writers, including Gwendolyn Brooks, Margaret Walker, Margaret Danner, Robert Hayden, Sterling Brown, Sonia Sanchez, Willie Kgositsile, Nikki Giovanni, Haki Madhubuti, Mae Jackson, Etheridge Knight, and Audre Lorde. Its history included changes in ownership, including a transfer to the Alexander Crummell Center for Worship and Learning in 1977 and a return to Randall in 1981. Hilda and Don Vest acquired the press from Randall in 1985. Lotus Press was established by Naomi Long Madgett in 1972. It specialized in poetry by African American writers and was recognized in 1980 as a 501(c)(3) organization. Madgett remained closely involved as publisher and editor until the merger. Lotus Press published authors including Herbert Woodward Martin, Dolores Kendrick, James A. Emanuel, Gayl Jones, Haki Madhubuti, May Miller, Toi Derricotte, and Dudley Randall. Its editorial program complemented Broadside’s legacy by supporting book-length poetry and developing opportunities for emerging and established Black poets. A major continuing institution associated with Lotus Press is the Naomi Long Madgett Poetry Award, established in 1993. The national award recognizes an outstanding manuscript by an African American poet and provides a publishing pathway. The award continued under Broadside Lotus Press after the merger, preserving an important part of Madgett’s literary and organizational legacy. Broadside Lotus Press is best understood not as a mass-market commercial imprint but as a mission-driven literary press. Its significance lies in sustaining Black authorship, poetry, archival memory, and independent cultural production. The combined organization carries forward Broadside Press’s pioneering use of broadsides and its influential catalogue, together with Lotus Press’s poetry-centered publishing program and award infrastructure. Publicly available reference material does not establish detailed current information about its ownership, staff, annual output, finances, or distribution arrangements.
History
Broadside Lotus Press emerged from the merger of Broadside Press and Lotus Press, two Detroit literary organizations with roots in the development of African American independent publishing. Broadside Press was founded in 1965 by Dudley Randall, a poet and librarian who sought to make African American poetry more visible and accessible. Rather than beginning solely with conventional books, Randall used the broadside format: individual poems printed on sheets approximately 8.5 by 11 inches. This format allowed poems to be circulated as affordable, visually direct literary objects. The press’s first publication was Randall’s “The Ballad of Birmingham.” During its early decades, Broadside Press developed a catalogue of important African American poets. Its authors included Gwendolyn Brooks, Margaret Walker, Margaret Danner, Robert Hayden, Sterling Brown, Sonia Sanchez, Willie Kgositsile, Nikki Giovanni, Haki Madhubuti, Mae Jackson, Etheridge Knight, and Audre Lorde. The press also became the subject of bibliographic documentation; a bio-bibliography of its authors by Leaonead Pack Bailey appeared in 1974. Broadside Press experienced changes in control over time. Ownership was transferred to the Alexander Crummell Center for Worship and Learning in 1977, returned to Randall in 1981, and transferred again in 1985 when Hilda and Don Vest purchased the press from him. Naomi Long Madgett founded Lotus Press in 1972. Its program centered on poetry and the publication of African American writers. In 1980, Lotus Press was recognized as a 501(c)(3) organization, reflecting its nonprofit cultural and literary orientation. Madgett continued to serve as the organization’s publisher and editor until the 2015 merger. The Lotus catalogue included work by Herbert Woodward Martin, Dolores Kendrick, James A. Emanuel, Gayl Jones, Haki Madhubuti, May Miller, Toi Derricotte, and Dudley Randall, among others. Lotus Press also established the Naomi Long Madgett Poetry Award in 1993. The national award was designed to recognize an outstanding manuscript by an African American poet and to support publication of the selected work. It became one of the most durable institutional elements associated with Lotus Press and continued under the Broadside Lotus Press name after the merger. On March 31, 2015, the planned combination of Lotus Press and Broadside Press was announced. The resulting Broadside Lotus Press brought together Broadside’s historic role in circulating individual poems and publishing prominent Black poets with Lotus’s book-publishing, nonprofit, and award-making activities. The merged press continued the literary missions of both predecessors. Available reference material does not provide enough information to document a detailed chronology of post-merger leadership, publishing volume, distribution, finances, or current organizational structure.
- 2015
Broadside Press and Lotus Press merged
[1]The planned merger was announced on March 31, creating Broadside Lotus Press and combining the two Detroit literary publishing traditions.
- 1993
Naomi Long Madgett Poetry Award established
[1]Lotus Press created a national award recognizing an outstanding manuscript by an African American poet and supporting its publication.
- 1985
Hilda and Don Vest acquired Broadside Press
[1]Hilda and Don Vest purchased Broadside Press from Dudley Randall.
- 1981
Broadside Press returned to Dudley Randall
[1]Control of Broadside Press returned to its founder after the period under the Alexander Crummell Center.
- 1980
Lotus Press recognized as a 501(c)(3) organization
[1]Lotus Press received recognition as a tax-exempt nonprofit organization specializing in poetry publishing.
- 1977
Broadside Press ownership transferred
[1]Ownership of Broadside Press was transferred to the Alexander Crummell Center for Worship and Learning.
- 1974
Broadside Press author bio-bibliography published
[1]Leaonead Pack Bailey published a bio-bibliography documenting authors associated with Broadside Press.
- 1972
Lotus Press founded
[1]Naomi Long Madgett established Lotus Press as a poetry-focused publisher serving African American writers.
- 1965
Broadside Press founded
[1]Dudley Randall founded Broadside Press in Detroit to publish and promote African American poetry, beginning with individual poem broadsides.
Products and positioning
An independent, Detroit-rooted literary press dedicated especially to African American poetry and the preservation and publication of Black literary voices.
Book publishing
Poetry books
Broadside Lotus Press continues the book-publishing tradition of Lotus Press and Broadside Press, issuing poetry and other literary works by African American writers. The predecessor catalogues included both established and emerging poets and emphasized the preservation and circulation of Black literary expression. Specific current titles and publication volumes are not established by the available reference material.
Ephemeral and format publishing · 1965
Single-poem broadsides
Broadside Press’s founding format consisted of individual poems printed on sheets approximately 8.5 by 11 inches. These publications offered an accessible alternative to conventional books and helped present African American poetry as both a literary text and a visually immediate cultural object. The format is central to the historical identity inherited by Broadside Lotus Press.
Poetry award and manuscript publishing · 1993
Naomi Long Madgett Poetry Award publications
The Naomi Long Madgett Poetry Award recognizes an outstanding manuscript by an African American poet and provides a route toward publication. Established by Lotus Press in 1993, the award continued under Broadside Lotus Press after the merger, linking the merged press to Madgett’s editorial and institutional legacy.
Brand decisions
2015
Merger of Broadside Press and Lotus PressM&ABackground
Both organizations were established Detroit-based publishers with long histories of publishing African American poetry and were described as among the oldest Black-owned presses in the United States.
Action taken
The organizations combined to form Broadside Lotus Press, bringing together Broadside Press’s catalogue and format history with Lotus Press’s poetry program and award.
Aftermath
The Naomi Long Madgett Poetry Award continued under the new organization. Detailed information about the merged entity’s subsequent ownership and operating structure is not available in the cited material.
Recent events
- 2015
Lotus Press announced a merger with Broadside Press[1]
M&A · Other
The two Detroit-based independent presses announced that they would combine to form Broadside Lotus Press. The merger united two of the oldest Black-owned presses in the United States and continued their shared focus on African American literature and poetry.
Sources2 sources
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