Literature

Harriet Wilson Monument

*Harriet Wilson was born on this date in1825. She was a black slave and author.

*May 19, 1900 celebrates the first publication of the Colored American Magazine (CAM).  This was one of the first monthly magazines created for the national African American consumer.  

Pauline Hopkins

*The birth of Pauline Hopkins in 1859 is celebrated on this date. She was a Black playwright, journalist, novelist, short story writer, biographer, and editor.

Pauline Elizabeth Hopkins was the daughter of Northrup Hopkins and Sarah Allen. From Portland, Maine, she was raised in Boston, Massachusetts. Her skill as a writer gained recognition in 1874, when, at the age of fifteen, she received first prize in a contest for her essay titled "Evils of Intemperance and Their Remedy."

Ray Heath of South
Westlyan University reads

This date 1985 is Black Poetry Day established in 1985. An unofficial holiday, it celebrates past and present poets like Langston Hughes, Phillis Wheatley, Frank X. Walker and Maya Angelou.

This day is not officially endorsed by an American city, state, or federal government, but it has gained fame and grown because of its importance in black heritage, in literacy, and in community meaning. Schools and the general public are asked to spend this day appreciating African-American authors and spreading the word of Black poets through friends, family members, and throughout the world.

Sekou Sundiata

Sekou Sundiata was born on this date in 1948. He was an African-American poet who writes for print, performance, music, and theater and he is a teacher.

Born Robert Feaster in Harlem, NY, he changed his name to Sekou Sundiata in the late 1960s to honor his African heritage. He taught at New York City's New School. Famous students include musicians Ani DiFranco and Mike Doughty.

Sundiata graduated with a bachelor's degree in English from the City College of New York in 1972 before successfully completing a master's degree in creative writing from the City University of New York.