August 18, 1944 Jacques Roumain, writer and political activist, died. Jacques Roumain was born June 4, 1907 in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. His grandfather served as the president of Haiti from 1912 to 1913. Roumain was educated in Belgium, Switzerland, France, Germany, and Spain. At 20 years old, he returned to Haiti and formed “The Indigenous Review: Arts […]
Tag Archives | writer
Octavia Estelle Butler – June 22nd in African American History
June 22, 1947 Octavia Estelle Butler, award-winning science fiction writer, was born in Pasadena, California. Butler began writing at the age of 10 and at 12 began a lifelong interest in science fiction. In 1968, she earned an associate’s degree from Pasadena City College and then participated in a number of writing workshops. Her first […]
June 9th in African American History – Ousmane Sembene
June 9, 2007 Ousmane Sembene, writer and “Father of African film,” died. Sembene was born January 1, 1923 in Casamance, Senegal. In 1944, he was drafted into the French army to fight in World War II. In 1947, he moved to France where he discovered writers such as Claude McKay and Jacques Roumain. His first […]
May 22nd in African American History – Claude McKay
May 22, 1948 Claude McKay, writer and poet, died. McKay was born September 15, 1889 in James Hill, Clarendon, Jamaica. He started writing poetry at the age of ten. McKay published his first book of poems, “Songs of Jamaica,” in 1912. McKay emerged as one of the first and most militant voices of the Harlem […]
March 12th in African American History – Romare Bearden
March 12, 1988 Romare Bearden, artist and writer, died. Bearden was born September 2, 1911 in Charlotte, North Carolina. In 1935, he earned his Bachelor of Science degree in science and education from New York University. He went on to study at the Arts Student League from 1936 to 1937. From 1942 to 1945, Bearden […]
February 24th in African American History – Octavia Estelle Butler
February 24, 2006 Octavia Estelle Butler, award winning science fiction writer, died. Butler was born June 22, 1947 in Pasadena, California. She began writing at the age of 10 and at 12 began a lifelong interest in science fiction. In 1968, she earned an associate’s degree from Pasadena City College and then participated in a […]