American poet Walt Whitman served as an inspiration for Chinese intellectuals during the New Culture Movement (Xin wenhua yundong) of the 1920s because of his calls for less elitism and more progressive ideals. In 1955, Whitman’s popularity soared again with the centenary publication of Leaves of Grass. Aubrey W. Pankey (left of speaker), an African American singer, attended the conference celebrating the poet, and the next year became the first American to perform in the People’s Republic of China.