This study of black protest poems from the early part of the twentieth century through the late sixties can provide insight into the issues African Americans faced during that time and the ways they responded to them. Works from seven...

An editorial and four poems that explore African American strivings for self-esteem in the late-nineteenth century. All documents referenced within this resource attempt to shine a light on African American self-image and identity.

A poem, an address, and a blues song that express black life in the first fifty years after the Emancipation Proclamation. The texts examine whether the true meaning of the proclamation carried forward to the lives African Americans.

This website contains a glossary with definitions of poetic terms and a bibliography of additional African-American poets and books and recommended reading.

A biography and analysis of the life of the famous author, as well as literary criticism as well as online poems, letters and a bibliography. Includes many quotes and his poetry.

This site from the University of North Carolina provides the full text of Phillis Wheatley's poetry, and her memoirs.

This site focuses on Paul Laurence Dunbar including a biography that includes a poem in dialect "Negro Love Song" illustrating how well the author used this format. It also includes links to eight of his books.

A profile of Tracy K. Smith, the U.S. Poet Laureate for 2017. Includes an audio recording of her reading the poem "When Your Small Form Tumbled Into Me." (Published June 14, 2017)

Nice lesson plan for grades 5-6 that explores poetry and personal expression through the work of Gwendolyn Brooks. Has lots of activities but could easily be modified for time. Has nearly everything you need to do the lesson!

This site features four different reviews of Langston Hughes' debut award winning volume of poems "Weary Blues". Compiled by the University of Illinois.

An interview with Tracy K. Smith, the 2017 U.S. Poet Laureate, where she discusses writing a memoir, her poetry, and David Bowie. (Published June 28, 2016)

The Antislavery Literature Project is a collaborative electronic publishing venture that provides educational access to the literature and history of the antislavery movement in the United States that is crucial to understanding African...

Langston Hughes is known mainly for his rhythmic poems set to music. This site gives an in-depth look at his background, including biographical information, what he wrote about, who influenced him, and his level of success.

Poet and playwright Amiri Baraka is featured in this brief biography for his radical views and contributions during the Black Arts Movement in America. See "Amiri Baraka Activities" for related resources.

Biographical information on American writer Alice Walker whose novels, short stories, and poems are noted for their insightful treatment of African-American culture. Her novels, most notably The Color Purple (1982), focus particularly on...

This guide discusses Langston Hughes's body of poetry, as well as briefly analyzing characteristics in several individual poems. The site also offers an interview with writer Afaa Weaver regarding Hughes's works, discussion questions, a...

A short biography of Tracy K. Smith, the 2017 U.S. Poet Laureate. Includes links to her poems and a video of Tracy K. Smith reading some of her poems. [5:30]

"The House of Dies Drear," is a powerful novel by Virginia Hamilton.

This is a phenomenal resource. It allows the user to create a reading list of quality children's literature based of choices such as reading level, type of book, genre, ethnicity, gender, etc. In addition, one can determine if a book won...

[Free Registration/Login Required] Read Frank X. Walker's "Kentucke" and highlight details that are neutral in blue, African-American in red, and Appalachian in green. When finished, click save to see how others marked the text as well.

An interview with Tracy K. Smith, the 2017 U.S. Poet Laureate, where she talks about her memoir, Ordinary Light. (Published April 9, 2015)

This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Nikki Giovanni, an African-American poet whose writings ranged from calls for violent revolution to poems for children and intimate personal statements.

This introduction to the life and writing of Langston Hughes profiles the poet who emerged with the Harlem Renaissance to earn "a place amongst the greatest poets America has ever produced."