Black Poetry Day commemorates the birthday of Jupiter Hammon, the first published African-American poet. His first work, the religious poem “An Evening Thought,” was published in 1760 and is still reprinted today.
Black Poetry Day celebrates the rich history of Black poets from Hammon and Phillis Wheatley in the 1700s; through Langston Hughes and the poets of the Harlem Renaissance; Amiri Baraka, Nikki Giovanni, and the Black Arts Movement in the 1960s and ‘70s; to the present day. Visit your local library to discover the work of Inaugural poets Maya Angelou and Amanda Gorman, 22nd Poet Laureate of the United States Tracy K. Smith, National Ambassador for Young Peoples’ Literature Jason Reynolds, and many more!
Can’t get enough poetry? Check out our Black Poetry Day shelf in cloudLibrary!
