2024
Derrick D. Cohens
- Assistant Professor
- University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff
![Picture of Derrick D. Cohens](https://www.acls.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/0A0AFF0E-04C2-EE11-907B-0022481C879C.jpg)
Abstract
The title of Jefferson Morley’s Newsweek article about Richard T. Gibson captures his predicament: “CIA Reveals Name of Former Spy in JFK Files—And He’s Still Alive.” Unafforded a posthumous reveal, Gibson meets his disclosure head-on by choosing to house his papers at The George Washington University in Washington, DC, a fitting place given his story. In researching the archives, the central question explored is how can we make space for those who have caused harm? The author/literary critic, black culturalist/black nationalist, and CIA spy are fused for Gibson. Unsoldering them allows us to look closer at their individual parts, providing a fresh approach to understanding Gibson’s place in literary and intellectual history.