On May 30, 1903, a child was born who would become one of the most celebrated voices of the Harlem Renaissance, yet whose origins remain shrouded in the kind of mystery that seems almost poetic in retrospect. Countee Cullen's exact birthplace has been disputed—some records suggest New York City, others Louisville, Kentucky, and still others Baltimore, Maryland. This uncertainty about his origins would prove oddly fit…
“Negro poetry, it seems to me, in the sense that we speak of Russian, French, or Chinese poetry, must emanate from some country other than this in some language other than our own.”
Neighbourhood:
African American Poets, American Poets, Harlem Renaissance, Political Poets, Social Justice Poets
Emotional landscape: Wonder, Spirituality, Tenderness
Georgia Douglas Johnson was a luminous voice in American literature, a poet whose words captured the fluttering heart of womanhood, the weight of racial identity, and the quiet resilience of the human spirit during one of the most vibrant eras of Black artistic expression. Born on September 10, 1880, in Atlanta, Georgia, and passing away on May 15, 1966, in Washington, D.C., she lived through sweeping changes—from th…
“I have been fortunate in having the friendship of all of you winged artists. It has been one of my blessings.”
Neighbourhood:
African American Poets, American Poets, Harlem Renaissance, Love Poets, Modernist Poets, Political Poets, Social Justice Poets, Women Poets
Emotional landscape: Sorrow, Despair, Longing
