Gwendolyn Brooks (1917 - 2000) 

Gwendolyn Brooks is one of the most revered and influential poets of the 20^th century.  She holds the distinction of being the first Black author to win the Pulitzer Prize in 1950 for Annie Allen.  She served as poetry consultant to the Library of Congress, the first Black woman to hold that position, and was the poet laureate of the State of Illinois.  Many of her works display a political and social awareness of the 1960s, including the civil rights activism and economic climate of the time.

February 12, 2021

Source:  O The Oprah Magazine, January 2021, Poetry Foundation, Encyclopedia Britannica