Famous African American Poets | Best Black Poets of All-time

Langston Hughes was an influential African-American poet and writer who was a prominent figure in the Harlem Renaissance. This cultural movement celebrated the artistic and intellectual achievements of African Americans. Born on February 1, 1901, in Joplin, Missouri, Hughes grew up in a time of racial segregation and discrimination. He is best known for his insightful and powerful poetry, often addressing identity, racism, and social injustice. Hughes' work was celebrated for its lyricism and portrayal of the African-American experience. Throughout his career, he wrote novels, short stories, plays, and essays and advocated for civil rights. His impact on American literature and culture is immeasurable, and his work continues to be studied and celebrated today. Langston Hughes passed away on May 22, 1967, but his legacy lives on through his influential and enduring literary contributions.

Maya Angelou, born Marguerite Annie Johnson, was a Pulitzer Prize-winning African American poet. She was born in St. Louis, Missouri, on April 8 1928 and died in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, on May 28, 2014. Angelou was also a dancer, an actress and a singer.

Alice Walker is an American poet, activist, author and feminist. She is one of the most celebrated in modern history. Her most famous work, The Color Purple, won the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and it remains one of the bestselling books in the United States.

Nikki Giovanni is one of the best-known African-American poets who reached prominence during the late 1960s and early 1970s.

Pulitzer Prize-winning African-American woman poet.. African-American poet; 30th US Poet Laureate

Tupac Shakur, born in New York City, New York on June 16, 1971, was an American rapper. Shakur sold over 75 million albums worldwide, making him one of the best-selling music artists in the world. Rolling Stone Magazine named him the 86th Greatest Artist of All Time.

Wole Soyinka was born on 13 July 1934 at Abeokuta, near Ibadan in western Nigeria. After preparatory university studies in 1954 at Government College in Ibadan, he continued at the University of Leeds, where, later, in 1973, he took his doctorate. During the six years spent in England, he was a dramaturgist at the Royal Court Theatre in London 1958-1959. In 1960, he was awarded a Rockefeller bursary and returned to Nigeria to study African drama. At the same time, he taught drama and literature at various universities in Ibadan, Lagos, and Ife, where, since 1975, he has been professor of comparative literature. In 1960, he founded the theatre group, "The 1960 Masks" and in 1964, the "Orisun Theatre Company", in which he has produced his own plays and taken part as actor.

Audre Geraldine Lorde was a pioneering African American poet, essayist, and activist whose work explored the intersections of race, class, gender, and sexuality. Born in 1934 in New York City, Lorde published numerous volumes of poetry and essays that confronted social injustices and celebrated the beauty and resilience of marginalized communities. She was a prominent voice in the feminist and civil rights movements, advocating for the empowerment of women and people of color. Lorde's writing continues to inspire and provoke critical discussions about identity, power, and social change.

Antwone Fisher was born on August 3, 1959 in Cleveland, Ohio, USA as Antwone Quenton Fisher. He is an award-winning film, literary writer, and director, known for Antwone Fisher (2002), ATL (2006) and This Life of Mine The Leon T. Garr Story (2012). He has been married to LaNette Fisher since December 1, 1996. They have two children. African american.

William Edward Burghardt " W. E. B. " Du Bois was an American sociologist, historian, civil rights activist, Pan-Africanist, author and editor. Born in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, Du Bois grew up in a relatively tolerant and integrated community. After graduating from Harvard, where he was the first African American to earn a doctorate, he became a professor of history, sociology and economics at Atlanta University. Du Bois was one of the co-founders of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in 1909.

Rita Frances Dove is an American poet and author. She was appointed Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress in 1993, the second African American to be appointed, and received a second special appointment in 1999. Dove is the second African American to receive the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry.. American poet and author; US Poet Laureate

Phillis Wheatley was a famous poet who was born in West Africa, sold into slavery at a young age, and brought to America. Despite her circumstances, Wheatley's exceptional talent for poetry caught the attention of her owners, leading to her education and publication of her poetry. As the first African-American woman to publish her work, Wheatley played a significant role in shaping American literature and challenging racial biases during the 18th century. Her poetry often addressed themes of freedom, equality, and the humanity of African-Americans, leaving behind a lasting legacy as an influential figure in American history.

Paul Laurence Dunbar was a seminal African American poet of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Dunbar gained national recognition for his 1896 "Ode to Ethiopia", one poem in the collection Lyrics of Lowly Life.. African American poet novelist and playwright

Gilbert "Gil" Scott-Heron was an American soul and jazz poet, musician, and author known primarily for his work as a spoken word performer in the 1970s and '80s, and for his collaborative works with musician Brian Jackson. His collaborative efforts with Jackson featured a musical fusion of jazz, blues, and soul, as well as lyrical content concerning social and political issues of the time, delivered in both rapping and melismatic vocal styles by Scott-Heron. His own term for himself was "bluesologist", which he defined as "a scientist who is concerned with the origin of the blues". The music of these albums, most notably Pieces of a Man and Winter in America in the early 1970s, influenced and helped engender later African-American music genres such as hip hop and neo soul.

Sonia Sanchez is an African American poet most often associated with the Black Arts Movement. She has authored over a dozen books of poetry, as well as plays and children's books. She was a 1993 Pew Fellowships in the Arts.. African American poet; associated with the Black Arts Movement

James Emanuel (born June 15, 1921 – September 28, 2013) was a poet and scholar from Alliance, Nebraska. Emanuel, who is ranked by some critics as one of the best and most neglected poets of the 20th century, published more than 300 poems, 13 individual books, an influential anthology of African American literature, an autobiography, and more. He is also credited with creating a new literary genre, jazz-and-blues haiku, often read with musical accompaniment.

Amiri Baraka (born Everett LeRoi Jones October 7, 1934), formerly known as LeRoi Jones and Imamu Amear Baraka, is an African-American writer of poetry, drama, fiction, essays, and music criticism. He is the author of numerous books of poetry and has taught at a number of universities, including the State University of New York at Buffalo and the State University of New York at Stony Brook. He received the PEN Open Book Award formerly known as the Beyond Margins Award in 2008 for Tales of the Out and the Gone.

Countee Cullen was one of the leading American poets of his time and one of the lights of the Harlem Renaissance.. American poet who was a leading figure in the Harlem Renaissance

A leading American author, poet, and early civil rights activist.. author poet folklorist and civil rights leader

An American poet from New York.. educator and Poets Laureate of Maryland

Etheridge Knight was an African-American poet who made his name in 1968 with his debut volume, Poems from Prison. The book recalls in verse his eight-year-long sentence after his arrest for robbery in 1960

Sherley Anne Williams was born in Bakersfield, California and was an African-American poet. Many of her works tell stories about her life in the African-American community. When she was little her family picked cotton in order to get money. At the age of eight her father died of tuberculosis and when she was sixteen her mother died. In 1966 she earned her bachelors degree in English at what is now California State University at Fresno and she received her master's degree at Brown University in 1972. Her works include collections of poetry such as The Peacock Poems (1975), the novel Dessa Rose (1986), and two picture books. She also published the groundbreaking work Give Birth to Brightness: A Thematic Study of Neo-Black Literature in 1972.

Margaret Abigail Walker Alexander (July 7, 1915 – November 30, 1998) was an African-American poet and writer. Born in Birmingham, Alabama, she wrote as Margaret Walker. One of her best-known poems is For My People.. African American writer

Cornelius Eady is an American poet focusing largely on matters of race and society, particularly the trials of the African-American race in the United States. His poetry often centers on jazz and blues, family life, violence, and societal problems stemming from questions of race and class. His poetry is often praised for its simple and approachable language.

Arnaud "Arna" Wendell Bontemps (October 13, 1902 – June 4, 1973) was an African-American poet, novelist and librarian, and a noted member of the Harlem Renaissance .

Mari Evans (born July 16, 1923 in Toledo, Ohio) is an African-American poet, living in Indianapolis.. African American poet

Kevin Young is a highly esteemed poet and writer known for his captivating exploration of African American history, culture, and the human condition. He graduated from Harvard College in 1992, was a Stegner Fellow at Stanford University from 1992 to 1994, and received his MFA from Brown University. While in Boston and Providence, he was part of the African-American poetry group, The Dark Room Collective. He is heavily influenced by the poets Langston Hughes, John Berryman, and Emily Dickinson, as well as the art of Jean-Michel Basquiat. With a career marked by profound insight and lyrical prowess, Young has established himself as a leading voice in contemporary poetry. His evocative verses and keen observations have garnered widespread acclaim, solidifying his reputation as a celebrated and influential literary figure. As a poet, essayist, and editor, Young's contributions to the literary world have left an indelible mark, inspiring readers and fellow writers alike with his poignant and thought-provoking work.

Dudley Randall (January 14, 1914 - August 5, 2000) was an African American poet and poetry publisher from Detroit, Michigan. He founded a publishing company called Broadside Press in 1965, which published many leading African American writers. Randall's most famous poem is "The Ballad of Birmingham", written during the 1960s, about the 1963 bombing of the church Martin Luther King, Jr. belonged to in Birmingham, Alabama. Randall's poetry is characterized by simplicity and realism.. African American poet and publisher

Lorna Dee Cervantes (b. August 6, 1954, in San Francisco, California ) is an award-winning Chicana, Native American (Chumash ), feminist, activist poet who is considered one of the major Chicana poets of the past 40 years. She has been described by Alurista, as "probably the best Chicana poet active today." Lorna Dee Cervantes was born in 1954 in California. She grew up in San Jose, speaking English exclusively. This was strictly enforced by her parents, who allowed only English to be spoken at home by her and her brother. This was to avoid the racism that was occurring in her community at that time. Lorna Dee Cervantes was an associate professor at the University of Colorado at Boulder until 2007. She considers herself "a Chicana writer, a feminist writer, a political writer" (Cervantes). Her collections of poetry, Emplumada, From the Cable of Genocide, Drive: The First Quartet and Ciento: 100 100-Word Love Poems are held in high esteem and have attracted numerous nominations and awards. She is currently the Regents Lecturer at UC Berkeley, California for the 2011/12 year. In an interview conducted by Sonia V. Gonzalez, the poet states that through writing and publishing, “I was trying to give back that gift that had saved me when I discovered, again, African-American women’s poetry. I was having this vision of some little Chicana in San Antonio [Texas] going, scanning the shelves, like I used to do, scanning the shelves for women’s names, or Spanish surnames, hoping she’ll pull it out, relate to it. So it was intentionally accessible poetry, intended to bridge that gap, that literacy gap.” Cervantes was actively involved in the publication of numerous Chicana/o writers from the 1970s onwards when she produced her own Chicana/o literary journal,MANGO "which was the first to publish Sandra Cisneros, Jimmy Santiago Baca, Alberto Rios, Ray Gonzalez, Ronnie Burk, and Orlando Ramírez [co-editor]. Cervantes and MANGO also championed the early work of writers Gary Soto, José Montoya, José Montalvo, José Antonio Burciaga, and her personal favourite, Luís Omar Salinas"

Saul Stacey Williams (born February 29, 1972) is an American poet, writer, actor and musician known for his blend of poetry and alternative hip hop and for his leading role in the 1998 independent film Slam.. African American singer musician poet writer and actor

Gwendolyn B. Bennett (July 8, 1902 – May 30, 1981) was an African-American writer who contributed to Opportunity, which chronicled cultural advancements in Harlem. Though often overlooked, she herself made considerable accomplishments in poetry and prose. She is perhaps best known for her short story "Wedding Day", which was published in the first issue of Fire!! .

Frances Ellen Watkins Harper (September 24, 1825-February 22, 1911), was an African-American writer, lecturer, and political activist, who promoted abolition, civil rights, women's rights, and temperance. She helped found or held high office in several national progressive organizations. She is best remembered today for her poetry and fiction, which preached moral uplift and counseled the oppressed how to free themselves from their demoralized condition.

Jupiter Hammon (October 17, 1711 – before 1806) was a black poet who in 1761 became the first African-American writer to be published in the present-day United States. Additional poems and sermons were also published. Born into slavery, Hammon was never emancipated. He was living in 1790 at the age of 79, and died by 1806. A devout Christian, he is considered one of the founders of African-American literature .

Ishmael Scott Reed (born 22 February 1938) is an American poet, essayist, and novelist. A prominent African-American literary figure, Reed is known for his satirical works challenging American political culture, and highlighting political and cultural oppression.. American poet essayist playwright and novelist

Tracy K. Smith is an acclaimed American poet and educator known for her powerful and evocative writing. Born in Massachusetts in 1972, she has received numerous awards for her work, including the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 2012 for her collection "Life on Mars." Smith has also served as the Poet Laureate of the United States from 2017 to 2019, using her platform to promote the importance of poetry in today's society. As a professor at Princeton University, she continues to inspire and influence aspiring writers with her insightful and thought-provoking poetry.

Haki R. Madhubuti (born Don Luther Lee on February 23, 1942 in Little Rock, Arkansas, United States ) is an African-American author, educator, and poet .

Keorapetse William Kgositsile (b. September 19, 1938 in Johannesburg) is a South African poet and political activist, and was an influential member of the African National Congress in the 1960s and 1970s. He lived in exile in the United States from 1962 until 1975, the peak of his literary career. Kgositsile made extensive study of African-American literature and culture, becoming particularly interested in jazz. During the 1970s he was a central figure among African-American poets, encouraging interest in Africa as well as the practice of poetry as a performance art; Kgositsile was known for his readings in New York City jazz clubs. He was one of the first to bridge the gap between African poetry and Black poetry in the United States, and thus one of the first and most significant poets in the Pan-African movement.. South African poet and political activist

Helen Johnson, who was better known as Helene Johnson (1906–1995) was an African American poet during the Harlem Renaissance. She was also a cousin of author Dorothy West.. African American poet during the Harlem Renaissance

Charlotte Bridges Forten Grimké (August 17, 1837 – July 23, 1914) was an African-American anti-slavery activist, poet, and educator .

Jeffrey Daniels, African-American poet

Melvin Beaunorus Tolson (February 6, 1898 – August 29, 1966) was an American Modernist poet, educator, columnist, and politician. His work concentrated on the experience of African Americans and includes several long historical poems. His work was influenced by his study of the Harlem Renaissance, although he spent nearly all of his career in Texas and Oklahoma .

Lucy Terry (c.1730-1821) is the author of the oldest known work of literature by an African American.. African American poet; author of the oldest known work of literature by an African American

Wanda Coleman (birth name, Wanda Evans) (born November 13, 1946) is an American poet. She is known as "the L.A. Blueswoman," and "the unofficial poet laureate of Los Angeles.". African-American poet

Sterling Allen Brown (May 1, 1901 – January 13, 1989) was an African-American professor, author of works on folklore, poet and literary critic. He studied chiefly black culture of the Southern United States and was a full professor at Howard University for most of his career. He also had visiting professor stints at several other institutions, including Vassar College, New York University (NYU), Atlanta University, and Yale University .

Angelina Weld Grimké (February 27, 1880 – June 10, 1958) was an African-American journalist, teacher, playwright and poet who was part of the Harlem Renaissance ; she was one of the first African-American women to have a play publicly performed.

Natasha Trethewey is a Pulitzer Prize-winning poet and former U.S. Poet Laureate. She was born in Gulfport, Mississippi, in 1966, and her work often explores themes of history, race, and memory. Trethewey's writing is deeply personal and often reflects her own experiences growing up biracial in the American South. She has received numerous awards and honors for her poetry and is known for her powerful and evocative verses that shed light on the complexities of the American experience.

Michael Steven Harper (born March 18, 1938) is an American poet from Brooklyn, who was the Poet Laureate of Rhode Island from 1988 to 1993. He has published ten books of poetry, two of which - Dear John, Dear Coltrane (1970) and Images of Kin (1977) - have been nominated for the National Book Award. A great deal of his poetry is influenced by jazz and history. Many of his poems have been included as important examples of African-American literature and jazz poetry in various anthologies. Harper often writes about his wife, Shirley (commonly referred to as "Shirl"), their children, and their ancestors, as well as friends and various black historical and cultural figures.

Alice Ruth Moore Dunbar Nelson (July 19, 1875 – September 18, 1935) was an American poet, journalist and political activist. Among the first generation born free in the South after the Civil War, she was one of the prominent African Americans involved in the artistic flourishing of the Harlem Renaissance. Her first husband was the poet Paul Laurence Dunbar ; she then married physician Henry A. Callis ; and last married Robert J. Nelson, a poet and civil rights activist.

William Stanley Beaumont Braithwaite was an American writer, poet and literary critic.

Toi Derricotte (pronounced DARE-ah-cot ) (b. April 12, 1941 in Hamtramck, Michigan) is an American poet and a professor of writing at University of Pittsburgh.. African American poet