Dr. Charles Henry Rowell is a native of Alabama, the child of self-sufficient, land-owning farmers. He received his PhD in English from The Ohio State University. Dr. Rowell founded Callaloo in 1976 at Southern University. At first, Callaloo focused on Black Southern writers, but soon grew into a global publication, inviting writers and artists from across the African diaspora, as well as those in conversation with it. Dr. Rowell expanded Callaloo’s reach with conferences and creative writing workshops, many held internationally. He is the editor of four anthologies of literature, and has been recognized as a pioneer and visionary by the Zora Neale Hurston/Richard Wright Foundation for his relentless dedication to supporting and sustaining Black Diaspora literature.
