Today the center is committed to "cultivating, honoring, and promoting the diverse voices of African-American poets by making the genre accessible to a wide audience and collaborating with educational and cultural institutions, literary organizations, and artists.
Dr. Joanne Gabbin dedicated the conference to Amiri Baraka and Sonia Sanchez, architects of the Black Arts Movement.
The conference also recognized literary trailblazers Toi Derricotte, Michael Harper, Yusef Komunyakaa, Marilyn Nelson, Ishmael Reed, and Quincy Troupe with Lifetime Achievement Awards.
[7] More than 300 scholars traveled to JMU's campus to attend the FFPC's third conference, consisting of concerts, readings, gallery receptions, panels, and group discussions.
[9] 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.
[10] 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.
[11] 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.
[12] 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".