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Creator
Penn, Robert E.
Call number
Sc MG 711
Physical description
25.28 linear feet (61 boxes); 32.9 megabytes (1183 computer files)
Language
English
Preferred Citation
[Item], Robert E. Penn papers, Sc MG 711, Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division, The New York Public Library
Repository
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division
Access to materials
Request an in-person research appointment.Restrictions apply

Robert E. Penn, Jr. (1948- ) is an African-American LGBT activist, a writer, and a producer. The Robert E. Penn papers, dating from 1971 to 2003, reflect Penn's work as an activist; his work as Assistant Director of Education, HIV Prevention for the Gay Men's Health Crisis (GMHC); his work as the author of the The Gay Men's Wellness Guide for the National Lesbian and Gay Health Association (NLGHA); his family and personal life; and writings. The collection holds clippings, correspondence, manuscript drafts, notes, posters, printed matter, and audio and visual materials.

Biographical/historical information

Robert E. Penn, Jr. (1948- ) is an African-American LGBT activist, a writer and a producer. Penn was born in Kansas City, Kansas and raised in Indiana; the son of Robert E. and Lois Penn, a Baptist minister and teacher, respectively.

Penn attended Harvard University for two years, while also studying sculpture and photography at HFBK University of Fine Arts of Hamburg, Germany, during a junior year abroad. Penn decided to leave Harvard University in 1970 for personal and professional reasons. He earned both his B.A. (1977) and M.B.A. (1979) from New York University. Penn is fluent in French.

Penn is a life-long advocate for equal human rights for all people. His work primarily focuses on African, African-American, African Diasporic, and LGBT communities. During the mid-1980s, he left his MBA position in corporate America and worked for international programs of Save the Children (SCF) US from 1985-1988, and for domestic programs of the National Organization for Women Legal Defense and Education Fund (NOW LDEF) from 1988-1990. From 1990 to 1996, Penn served as Assistant Director of Education, HIV Prevention for the Gay Men's Health Crisis (GMHC). In this capacity, he developed health, wellness and preventive programs for people of color.

While employed at the GMHC in 1995, Penn along with his Portuguese counterparts, developed a three-day AIDS Prevention Training for Portuguese educators, doctors, teachers, and AIDS activists. That same year, Penn gave a presentation about the GMHC at the 8th Brazilian Conference of Gays and Lesbians.

In 1996, Penn entered into an agreement with the National Lesbian and Gay Health Association (NLGHA) to produce the Gay Men's Wellness Guide (1997). This guide is considered a landmark publication.

Penn also participated in The Audre Lorde Project (ALP). In 1996, Penn was contracted for four months as an independent contractor to conduct a "Gay Men of Color Needs Assessment for New York City."

A prolific advocate, writer, lecturer, and world traveler, Penn's writings of novels, poetry and screenplays include Magadien, Art, AIDS, America: NYC Black Men Fight AIDS since the 1980s, The Three Brothers, Stepping Out on Faith, Telling OUR Stories, Art from Adversity, Status Is Everything, Desert King, City of the Century, Gray Was Comfort, It's How You Sign It, and Sex Is Easy.

Scope and arrangement

The Robert E. Penn papers, dating from 1970 to 2003 (1990s bulk dates), reflect Robert Penn's work as Assistant Director of Education, HIV Prevention for the Gay Men's Health Crisis (GMHC) and as a writer. Files include lectures, materials concerning outreach programs and travels abroad to educate the public about HIV and AIDS, and drafts of his published and unpublished works. Correspondence with his family and personal life is represented to a lesser extent.

GMHC files also reflect Penn's position as Assistant Director of Education, HIV Prevention. Files include Penn's presentation "Positive Sex is Safer Sex Education," interview questions used by HIV and AIDS activists, a committee report from the People of Color Resource Committee initiative, and material concerning peer education training. Related material also focuses on Penn's initiatives in Brazil and Portugal about raising awareness of AIDS and HIV.

The Gay Men's Wellness Guide files are extensive with detailed information about the subjects covered for the publication.

Penn's articles, novels, and screenplays (both published and unpublished) include City of the Century, Gray Was Comfort, It's How You Sign It, and Sex Is Easy, Penn also retained some assorted subject-related printed matter.

Penn's writings also holds some notebooks on personal reflections and subjects of interest.

The professional correspondence documents Penn's efforts to solicit support for his writings through fellowships at artist colonies such as the Ragdale Foundation and efforts to find publishers for his writings. Personal correspondence is between Penn and his parents, other relatives, acquaintances, or friends.

The audio and media material consists of a recording of the novel Flirtations and VHS tapes of television segments mostly relating to HIV and AIDS awareness.

The electronic records are mostly correspondence and book inserts regarding the Gay Men's Wellness Guide and to a lesser extent the Audre Lorde Project and assorted writings. Some of this material may be duplicates of current files.

Arrangement

The collection is arranged in the following sections: Gay Men's Health Crisis, Subject Files, Gay Men's Wellness Guide, Writings, Correspondence, and Printed Matter.

Administrative information

Source of acquisition

Donated by Robert E. Penn, 2002 and 2003.

Processing information

Compiled by Valerie Wingfield, 2017.

Using the collection

Location

Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division
515 Malcolm X Boulevard, New York, NY 10037-1801
Second Floor

Conditions Governing Use

Information on copyright available from repository.

Access restrictions

Access. All reproduction requests subject to limitations noted in divisional policies on reproduction. Sound and video materials are unavailable pending digitization.