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Amiri Baraka
Amiri Baraka 0000000446460520 Amiri Baraka, also known as LeRoi Jones, was a prolific 20th-century African American writer, poet, and Obie-winning playwright. Known for works such as “Blues People” a...
Amiri Baraka and Amina Baraka
Amiri Baraka and Amina Baraka MULTIPLE Amiri and Amina Baraka are renowned authors known for their profound contributions to literature and activism, using their work to inspire social change. Amiri ...
Larry Neal and Amiri Baraka
Larry Neal and Amiri Baraka MULTIPLE Explore the life and works of Larry Neal and Amiri Baraka, influential figures in the 1967 Newark literary scene. Learn more about Larry Neal Learn more about Ami...
Ras Baraka
Ras Baraka NONE "Ras Baraka, son of famed poets and father of three, is a published author. His latest work, 'Black Girls Learn Love Hard', is a tribute to his late sister, Shani Baraka.” Ras Baraka ...
Howard Dodson, Amiri Baraka, Gail Lumet Buckley, Henry Louis Gates, Jr., and Annette Gordon-Reed
Howard Dodson, Amiri Baraka, Gail Lumet Buckley, Henry Louis Gates, Jr., and Annette Gordon-Reed MULTIPLE Prominent authors Howard Dodson, Amiri Baraka, Gail Lumet Buckley, Henry Louis Gates Jr., an...
Abraham Chapman, James Baldwin, Arna Bontemps, Gwendolyn Brooks, W. E. B. Du Bois, Ralph Ellison, Langston Hughes, Amiri Baraka, Richard Wright, Lerone Bennett, and Malcolm X
Abraham Chapman, James Baldwin, Arna Bontemps, Gwendolyn Brooks, W. E. B. Du Bois, Ralph Ellison, Langston Hughes, Amiri Baraka, Richard Wright, Lerone Bennett, and Malcolm X MULTIPLE
jessica Care moore
jessica Care moore 0000000043767122 jessica Care moore is an internationally renowned poet/ publisher/ activist/ rock star/ playwright and actor. She is a five-time Showtime at the Apollo winn...
Kwasi Ramsey
Kwasi Ramsey NONE Baltimore-born author Kwasi Ramsey, winner of the CLA Margaret Walker and Red Sparrow Poetry Awards, is inspired by poets like Amiri Baraka and musicians such as Tupac Shakur. Kwasi...
Jean-Philippe Marcoux
Jean-Philippe Marcoux 0000000108385791 Jean-Philippe Marcoux is a Professor of American Literature at Laval University, specializing in African American literature, postmodernist fiction, poetry, and...
Brenda M. Greene
Brenda M. Greene 000000008095850X Dr. Brenda M. Greene is a respected professor, writer, and scholar, leading the Center for Black Literature and the National Black Writers Conference. She has contri...
Selene Castrovilla
Selene Castrovilla NONE Selene Castrovilla is an acclaimed author, celebrated for her nonfiction and fiction works that explore hidden truths in history and personal identity. Her award-winning books...
Poet On Watch
Poet On Watch NONE Poet On Watch is a renowned performance poet and multimedia artist, who collaborates globally as an independent art director. She's authored two poetry collections and has contribu...
Gwendolyn Brooks
Gwendolyn Brooks 0000000081816650 Brooks was U.S. Consultant in Poetry, 1985-1986 (title was changed to U.S. Poet Laureate in 1986) Gwendolyn Elizabeth Brooks (1917-2000) was an influential African-Am...
Natasha Trethewey
Natasha Trethewey 0000000084159051 Trethewey was U.S. Poet Laureate, 2012-2014 Natasha Trethewey, an American poet and winner of the 2007 Pulitzer Prize for her collection “Native Guard,” was inspired...
Prince Justice
Prince Justice NONE Prince Justice, born into a Nigerian ruling house and raised in Africa, is a London-born author who studied in Africa and the US. Living in various Black communities across Americ...
Goldie the Poet
Goldie the Poet NONE Goldie the Poet, a Bay-Area native and prominent alumnus of Leimert Park’s World Stage Poets, is a gifted actor and artist. With performances across the U.S. and Europe, his uniq...
Manu Ampim
Manu Ampim NONE Professor Manu Ampim is a first-hand researcher specializing in African and African American history. With a Master's degree in History/African American Studies, he is known for expan...
Mervyn Morris
Mervyn Morris 0000000122796976 Born in 1937, Mervyn E. Morris is a renowned Jamaican poet and scholar. A Rhodes Scholar and Professor Emeritus of Creative Writing & West Indian Literature, he was the...
Malik Canty
Malik Canty NONE Malik Canty, also known as the Word Bird, is a spiritual poet, teacher, and writer known for giving voice to the voiceless. He has performed at renowned venues including The Apollo T...
Kim McMillon
Kim McMillon NONE Kim McMillon, Ph.D., is an acclaimed author contributing to anthologies and encyclopedias on Black Arts and Power Movements. She produced a notable Black Arts Movement Conference an...
Nathan C. Heard
Nathan C. Heard NONE Nathan C. Heard (1936-2004) was a celebrated author, teacher, and actor. Known as a pioneer of “street literature,” he gained fame with his book Howard Street, written during his...
Countee Cullen
Countee Cullen 0000000081534450 Countée Porter Cullen (1903-1946) was a prominent figure of the Harlem Renaissance, known for his poetry books “Color” and “Copper Sun.” He taught and mentored James ...
Ezrah Aharone
Ezrah Aharone NONE Ezrah Aharone, a New Jersey native, is a respected author, political science professor at Delaware State University, and consultant on African affairs. His international experience...
O.T. Begho
O.T. Begho NONE Oyehmi T. Begho is an experienced educator and consultant with expertise in emerging technologies. He holds degrees in Computer Science and ICT in Education. Known for his innovative ...
Jeff Chang
Jeff Chang 0000000367675451 Jeff Chang, renowned cultural critic and author of award-winning books such as 'Can’t Stop Won’t Stop: A History of the Hip-Hop Generation' and 'Who We Be: The Colorizatio...
Rashad Phillips
Rashad Phillips NONE Rashad Phillips is an American former professional basketball player and author. Born on May 5, 1978, in Detroit, Michigan, he played as a 5-foot 9-inch guard. Phillips had a not...
Chaun Webster
Chaun Webster NONE Chaun Webster, a poet, publisher, and graphic designer, is influenced by the Black Arts Movement, Jazz, and Graffiti. He founded Free Poet’s Press in 2009 to encourage art producti...
Sharrif Simmons
Sharrif Simmons NONE Sharrif Simmons, a poet, musician, writer, and arts educator, has a performance career extending over three decades. Inspired by veteran poet Sonia Sanchez and influenced by vari...
muMs the schemer
muMs the schemer NONE Craig Grant, known as muMs the Schemer, is a poet and actor from the Bronx, New York. He rose to fame in the documentary SlamNation and through his role as “Poet” in HBO's Oz. H...
Patricia Spears Jones
Patricia Spears Jones 0000000031494569 Patricia Spears Jones, born in Arkansas, is the 2024 New York State Poet Laureate, a Jackson Poetry Prize laureate, and a cultural activist. An esteemed poet, p...
Robert Hayden
Robert Hayden 0000000114660665 Hayden was Named U.S. Poet Laureate for (1976–1978) Robert Hayden (1913-1980) was a renowned African-American poet, essayist, and educator. He was the first Africa...
Arthur R. Flowers
Arthur R. Flowers NONE Arthur Flowers, a Vietnam veteran, blues singer, and Memphis native, is a co-founder of the New Renaissance Writer's Guild and a notable performance poet. He teaches at Syracus...
Brandon Kilbourne
Brandon Kilbourne NONE Brandon Kilbourne is a Pushcart-nominated poet and biologist, whose work has appeared in Poet Lore, Obsidian, Ecotone, Terrain.org, West Trade Review, Split Rock Review, and n...
George Jackson
George Jackson 0000000140482524 George Jackson, born September 23, 1941, was a key figure in the Black Power movement and a member of the Black Panther Party. He gained prominence through his activis...
Bob Avakian
Bob Avakian 0000000066625450 Robert Bruce Avakian, born in 1943, is a prominent figure in US communism. Raised in Berkeley, California, he has led the Revolutionary Communist Party, USA since 1979. H...
Michael W. Twitty
Michael W. Twitty 0000000048281199 Michael W. Twitty is a renowned culinary and cultural historian, creator of Afroculinaria, a blog focusing on African American historic foodways. Celebrated as one ...
Harlow Giles Unger
Harlow Giles Unger 0000000109206513 Harlow Giles Unger is a seasoned journalist, historian, and educator, with over 27 published books focusing on American education and Revolutionary War leaders. A ...
Benjamin Quarles
Benjamin Quarles 0000000121004017 Benjamin A. Quarles (1904-1996) was a renowned historian and prolific writer, known for his extensive research on black soldiers and abolitionists in the American Re...
Mutabaruka
Mutabaruka 0000000108754294 Mutabaruka, was born Allan Hope and is a Jamaican Rastafari dub poet, musician, actor, educator, and talk-show host. Just above his forehead, poet ...
Tracy K. Smith
Tracy K. Smith 0000000049042106 Smith was U.S. Poet Laureate, 2017-2019 Tracy K. Smith, born 1972, is a Pulitzer-winning poet and educator. She has published three poetry collections and teaches creat...
Jim Daniels
Jim Daniels 0000000055106495 James Raymond Daniels, born 1956, is an American poet and writer from Detroit, Michigan. He currently resides in Pittsburgh with his wife, poet Kristin Kovacic, and their...
Jasmine Mans
Jasmine Mans NONE Jasmine Mans, a Black American poet and artist from Newark, NJ, is a University of Wisconsin Madison graduate. Author of the 2012 poetry collection, Chalk Outlines of Snow Angels, a...
Cheryl Boyce-Taylor
Cheryl Boyce-Taylor 0000000038283932 Trinidad-born, Queens-bred Cheryl Boyce Taylor is a celebrated poet and visual artist. She's authored several poetry collections, received the Partners in Writing...
Heru Ptah
Heru Ptah NONE Heru Ptah is a multifaceted writer, known for his work as a poet, novelist, playwright, and screenwriter. He's appeared on HBO's Def Poetry Jam, CNN, and has a novel published by MTV B...
DuEwa M. Frazier
DuEwa M. Frazier NONE DuEwa Frazier is an accomplished writer, educator, and poet, renowned for her literary contributions and educational initiatives. Born in Brooklyn and raised in St. Louis, she f...
Suheir Hammad
Suheir Hammad 0000000084052510 Suheir Hammad, born October 25, 1973, is a Palestinian-American poet, author, performer, and activist renowned for her work in the spoken-word scene. She's had success ...
Eugene B. Redmond
Eugene B. Redmond 0000000117637604 Eugene B. Redmond, an American poet and academic, is renowned for his connection to the Black Arts Movement. A St. Louis native, Redmond earned degrees from Souther...
Dionne Brand
Dionne Brand 0000000109071487 “The best poetry jolts and shocks, it mines language for what we have not seen, have not heard.” Dionne Brand is an acclaimed poet and novelist, known for win...
Robert Lee Brewer
Robert Lee Brewer NONE Robert Lee Brewer is a Senior Content Editor at Writer's Digest, author, and was voted Poet Laureate of the Blogosphere in 2011. He is known for his expertise in editing, onlin...
Juan Boria
Juan Boria NONE Jaime Torres Torres, known as Juan Boria, was a celebrated Puerto Rican poet and actor born in 1906. Despite humble beginnings, he earned a university degree and taught for 37 years. ...
George Moses Horton
George Moses Horton 000000006316904X George Moses Horton (1798–1884) was the first African American poet to be published in the Southern US, while still enslaved. His notable works include “The Hop...
Julian Randall
Julian Randall NONE Julian Randall, a Queer Black poet from Chicago, has received multiple fellowships and was named 2015's Best Poet at CUPSI. He curates for Winter Tangerine Review and is pursuing ...
Jamila Woods, Mahogany L. Browne, and Idrissa Simmonds
Jamila Woods, Mahogany L. Browne, and Idrissa Simmonds MULTIPLE Jamila Woods, a Chicago-based poet influenced by Lucille Clifton and Gwendolyn Brooks, explores themes of blackness and womanhood. Maho...
Alice Dunbar-Nelson
Alice Dunbar-Nelson 0000000081179540 Check out Love, Activism, and the Respectable Life of Alice Dunbar-Nelson Alice Moore Dunbar-Nelson (1875-1935) was an acclaimed American journalist, political act...
Shauntay Grant
Shauntay Grant 0000000082860020 Shauntay Grant is a Halifax-based writer and performance artist. She's written multiple children's books, including award-winning 'Up Home' and 'Africville'. Grant als...
r.h. Sin
r.h. Sin NONE Reuben Holmes, known as r.h. Sin, is a New York Times bestselling poet from New Brunswick, N.J. Overcoming a difficult upbringing through his love for writing, Sin currently lives in Ne...
J. Drew Lanham
J. Drew Lanham NONE J. Drew Lanham is a distinguished author, poet, and professor of Wildlife Ecology. Known for his books 'Sparrow Envy' and 'The Home Place', he's recognized with a MacArthur Grant ...
Warsan Shire
Warsan Shire 0000000401939810 Warsan Shire, a Somali British writer and poet, is renowned for her chapbooks, and for winning the inaugural Brunel International African Poetry Prize. She was London's ...
Pat Parker
Pat Parker 0000000106773440 Pat Parker (1944-1989) was a renowned African-American, lesbian-feminist poet and performer. Notable works include 'Jonestown & Other Madness' and 'Movement in Black'. She...
Brenda Marie Osbey
Brenda Marie Osbey 000000002513556X Brenda Marie Osbey, born in 1957, is a distinguished poet from New Orleans who served as Louisiana's Poet Laureate from 2005-2007. She specializes in Afro-Francoph...
Fabu Phillis Carter
Fabu Phillis Carter NONE Poet Fabu was appointed Madison's Poet Laureate in 2008 and served in that position until 2012. Fabu Phillis Carter, professionally known as Poet Fabu, was appointed Madison’...
Rita Dove
Rita Dove 0000000114709625 Dove was U.S. Poet Laureate, 1993-1995 Rita Dove, former U.S. Poet Laureate and Pulitzer Prize winner, is known for her poetry collections, novel, and drama. She's been reco...
Saul Williams
Saul Williams 0000000055187280 Saul Williams, hailed as the “Bob Marley of American poets” is a celebrated poet, actor, and spoken-word artist. Known for his vibrant and fearless writing, Williams ha...
Rosa Guy
Rosa Guy 0000000111564547 Rosa Guy, born in Trinidad in 1925, was an influential Harlem-based writer and activist. A co-founder of the Harlem Writer's Guild, she was also a member of the Black nation...
Kimberly W. Benston
Kimberly W. Benston 0000000025660567 Kimberly W. Benston (born January 18, 1953) is Francis B. Gummere Professor of English and Africana Studies at Haverford College, where he has also served as Prov...
Gigi Best
Gigi Best NONE Gigi Best, a prolific author, historian, and genealogist, is also the owner of Best Books & Rich Treasures. She possesses rich academic credentials and is a member of various historica...
Sterling D. Plumpp
Sterling D. Plumpp 0000000081297870 “You can not ever get free as a result of legislationHellip;you always have to take freedom.” Sterling Dominic Plumpp, born 1940, is an esteemed poet, e...
Carole Boston Weatherford
Carole Boston Weatherford 0000000042539806 Carole Boston Weatherford, a New York Times best-selling author, has written over 50 books, earning multiple awards including three Caldecott Honors and two...
Ed Bullins
Ed Bullins 0000000108602549 Ed Bullins (1935-2021) was a renowned figure in American theater, significantly contributing to African American drama during the Black Arts Movement. A playwright, poet, ...
Rondall Brasher
Rondall Brasher NONE Rondall Brasher is a passionate poet with a love for words that spans over three decades. Inspired by great names such as Dr. Seuss and Kahlil Gibran, he seeks to express his sub...
Jess Marie
Jess Marie NONE Jessica Marie Smith, known as Poet Jess Marie, is an inspirational writer from Detroit, MI, best known for her book “Anthology for Hope in the Hood.” A graduate of Michigan State Univ...
Rachel Eliza Griffiths
Rachel Eliza Griffiths 0000000527846142 Rachel Eliza Griffiths, a poet, photographer, and creative writing teacher, is renowned for her literary portraits, fine art photography, and lyric videos. She...
D-Knowledge
D-Knowledge NONE Writer/Performer Dr. Derrick Gilbert, PhD, a/k/a poet D-Knowledge, lost his battle with liver disease on Sunday morning, November 1, 2015. He was 45. Straddling the worlds of enter...
Lemn Sissay
Lemn Sissay 0000000079088199 Lemn Sissay is a British author, poet, and broadcaster, known for his contributions to BBC Radio 4 and his role as the first poet commissioned for the London Olympics. He...
Etheridge Knight
Etheridge Knight 0000000066439498 Etheridge Knight, born on April 19, 1931, was a renowned poet who began writing while incarcerated and published his notable collection, Poems from Prison, in 1968. ...
Aimé Césaire
Aimé Césaire 0000000121474035 One of the Founders of the Négritude Movement in Francophone Literature Aimé Césaire (1913-2008) was a Martinican poet, playwright, and politician who co-founded...
Danielle Legros Georges
Danielle Legros Georges NONE Danielle Legros Georges, a professor at Lesley University, is a renowned writer and poet with interests in arts, education, American and African-American poetry, Caribbea...
Haki Madhubuti
Haki Madhubuti 0000000114735014 Haki R. Madhubuti, a leading figure in Black literature, is a poet, publisher, editor, and educator. With over 30 published books and 3 million copies in print, he's o...
Staajabu
Staajabu NONE Staajabu is a multi-talented poet, activist, and Straight Out Scribes member from Philadelphia, now based in Sacramento. She is a mother, U.S. Air Force veteran, health advocate, prison...
Jabari Asim
Jabari Asim 0000000027516761 Jabari Asim, an acclaimed poet, playwright, and writer, is known as a leading African American literary critic. Formerly editor-in-chief at The Crisis and an editor at th...
James Grey
James Grey NONE James Grey is an author and poet. Has been writing since the age of 13 or 14. After winning a contest for young writers he was motivated to continue writing poetry and short stories....
Jayne Cortez
Jayne Cortez 0000000080983190 Jayne Cortez (1936-2012) was a celebrated poet and performance artist, known for her political and surrealistic lyricism. She authored eleven books of poetry and present...
Lenard D. Moore
Lenard D. Moore 0000000079037447 Lenard D. Moore is a celebrated poet, anthologist, and U.S. Army Veteran, known globally for his works published in 15+ countries and translated into multiple languag...
Artress Bethany White
Artress Bethany White NONE Artress Bethany White, PhD, is an award-winning poet, essayist, and literary critic known for her poetry collections and scholarly essays. Her notable works include 'My Afm...
Jeffery Boston Weatherford
Jeffery Boston Weatherford NONE Jeffery Boston Weatherford, an illustrator and poet, founded Triiibe Worldwide. His debut book, You Can Fly: The Tuskegee Airmen, acclaimed by several organizations, e...
Tracy K. Smith and John Freeman
Tracy K. Smith and John Freeman MULTIPLE Tracy K. Smith is a Pulitzer-winning poet, author of four books, including 'Life on Mars', and editor of 'American Journal'. She served as the US Poet Laureat...
Jupiter Hammon
Jupiter Hammon 000000038947276X Jupiter Hammon (1711-1806), a born slave, became the first African-American writer to be published in the US in 1761. Encouraged to learn reading and writing, he serve...
Judith Falloon-Reid
Judith Falloon-Reid NONE Judith Falloon-Reid is a renowned author, filmmaker, and motivational speaker. Her versatile career involves writing books, directing films, and inspiring audiences through h...
Erica Hunt
Erica Hunt 0000000382845383 Erica Hunt is a renowned poet and essayist, known for works like Local History and A Day and Its Approximates. Her writings appear in various publications and she has been...
Kevin Young
Kevin Young 0000000109530225 Kevin Young, born in 1970, is a renowned poet and teacher influenced by Hughes, Berryman, Dickinson, and Basquiat. A Harvard graduate, Young authored multiple poetry book...
Mary-Alice Daniel
Mary-Alice Daniel NONE Mary-Alice Daniel is a Yale-educated poet recognized by Poet Laureate Louise Glück. With an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Michigan, her work appears in variou...
Langston Hughes
Langston Hughes 0000000121303076 “Democracy will not come / Today, this year, nor ever / Through compromise and fear.” Langston Hughes, The Poet Laureate of Harlem: Author, Poet, Essayist, Novelist, P...
Sharyn Skeeter
Sharyn Skeeter NONE Sharyn Skeeter is an award-winning novelist, poet, editor, and educator, known for her debut novel “Dancing with Langston.” She has served as an editor at Essence and Black Elegan...
Marc Lacy
Marc Lacy NONE Marc Lacy, a graduate from Alabama A&M University, renowned poet, author, and CEO of AVO Publishing, is known for his national literary performances and spoken word venues. He's also a...
Rio Cortez
Rio Cortez NONE Rio Cortez is a Pushcart-nominated poet and writer, recognized with fellowships from esteemed literary organizations. Her work has featured in top publications and she also works as a...
Samantha King Holmes
Samantha King Holmes NONE Samantha King Holmes, a poet and author since age 11, uses writing as a form of therapy. Her poetry, akin to diary entries, captures the various stages of her life. Currentl...
Rudy Francisco
Rudy Francisco NONE Rudy K. Francisco, born 1982, is a renowned Spoken Word Poet known for his social critique, introspection, humor, and honesty. He discusses race, class, gender, and religion throu...
Kevin Coval
Kevin Coval 0000000053723529 Kevin Coval, author of ALA “Book of the Year†finalist Slingshots: A Hip-Hop Poetica, is the Artistic Director of Louder Than a Bomb: The Chicago Teen Poetry Festival...
Quartez Harris
Quartez Harris NONE Quartez Harris, Ohio's Poet of the Year and Baldwin House fellow, is renowned for his acclaimed poetry and book, We Made It to School Alive. A former second-grade teacher, he now ...