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porary contribution to arts and letters.  An award to a Fellow of the Black Academy of Arts and Letters for his inestimable contribution to the understanding of the Black experience, was presented to Paul Leroy Robeson.

The Academy has since established an Annual Letters Competition for black authors, and is planning a conference of black artists for the establishment of its awards and fellowship program for aspiring artists and scholars, and its other programs.  In addition to its development of internal committees in its first year of operation, the Black Academy has assisted in supporting the Schomburg Collection of Negro Life and History, and brought several cultural events to the attention of the community.

The Black Academy was formed under the auspices of the Twentieth Century Fund, which granted the new institution $50,000 for operating expenses, for each of three years.  Staff was hired and temporary headquarters were opened in March, 1970.

The Black Academy was incorporated in the state of New York in June, 1969 and is both non-profit and tax exempt.