*The birth of Antarah is celebrated on this date in 525. Antara (as he was called) was a Black North African Soldier and poet. Antarah Antar Ibn Shaddad was born in Najd (northern Saudi Arabia). He was the son of Shaddad, a member of the Arabian tribe of Banu Abs; his mother was Zabibah, an […]
learn more*Bonifacio Byrne was born on this date in 1861. He was an Afro Cuban poet. He was born in Pueblo Nuevo, in Matanzas. He did his studies in Matanzas. Since adolescence, he had a fondness for literature. In 1890, he founded the newspapers La Mañana y La Juventud Liberal. He published his first verse book […]
learn more*Ethel Minor was born on this date in 1938. She was a Black journalist, teacher, human rights activist, and civil rights activist. She was born into a large and accomplished Episcopalian Family in Chicago. She converted to Catholicism later in life and remained extremely religious. Lorne Cress Love, Francis Cress Welsing, and Barbara Cress Lawrence […]
learn more*Julia Fields was born on January 21, 1938. She is a Black writer and poet. Fields was born in Bessemer, Alabama. Her father was a preacher, a farmer, a carpenter, and a storekeeper. Fields’ early jobs included selling vegetables, waitressing, and factory work, influences that later blended into her writing, along with her immersion in […]
learn more*Alfred A. Duckett was born on March 8, 1917. He was a Black author, speech writer, and activist. Duckett was a prominent figure from Brooklyn, New York, who made significant contributions to journalism, public relations, and literature. Duckett was a newspaper writer at the Pittsburgh Courier and Amsterdam News before serving in the US Army […]
learn more*Up from Slavery is celebrated on this date in 1901. This book is the autobiography of Black educator Booker T. Washington. The book was first published as a serial in 1900 in The Outlook, a Christian newspaper of New York. It was serialized so that Washington could receive feedback from his audience during the writing […]
learn more*Emily Meggett was born on this date in 1932. She was a Black Geechee-Gullah community leader, chef, and author. Emily Meggett was born in Edisto Island, South Carolina. She grew up with Gullah culture, a set of food, rituals, and language that took root when West and Central Africans were brought to the Southern United […]
learn moreDr. Carolyn Holbrook is an author, professor, and literature advocate. In this segment, she shares advice and structure to aspiring writers.
learn morePearl McClintock is a collections assistant and curator. In this segment, she shares library science career advice.
learn moreStephanie Chrismon is a speaker, writer, Afrofuturist, and educator. In this segment, they share career highlights and inspiration that make up their writing career.
learn more