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The History of African-American Poets

African-American poetry has its roots in slave narratives and continued to grow in popularity and importance during what is known as the Harlem Renaissance during the 1920s and 1930s. Early African-American poetry was the only voice slaves had, and early African-American poets such as Jupiter Hammon and Phillis Wheatley became the orators of the time. African-American poetry today stands as a testament to those times and paints a portrait of struggle and survival in a world where free voice was not easy to come by

  1. First Published African-American Poet

    • The first published African-American poet was Jupiter Hammon, whose "An Evening of Thought" was published in 1760 in Hartford, Conn.

    Frist African-American Poet to Publish a Book

    • Phillis Wheatley, often thought to be the first published African-American poet, was 7 years old at the time. She became the first African-American to publish a book of poetry with her "Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral" published in 1773.

    First African-American Woman to Earn a Living Writing

    • Phillis Wheatley was the first African-American poet to earn a living with her writing.

    First African-American Poet Laureate of the United States

    • The first African-American Poet Laureate of the United States was Robert Hayden, from 1976 to 1978.

    First African-American Woman Poet Laureate of the United States

    • Rita Dove was the youngest and first African-American woman to become Poet Laureate of the United States, from 1993 to 1995.

    Controversial School Reading List Material

    • In 2006, famous gangsta rapper Tupac Shakur's collection of poetry, titled "The Rose That Grew From Concrete" was included on the Worchester Public School sytem's summer reading list. The decision to include the material sparked a controversy.

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Poetry

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