Topeka, Kansas (June 7, 1917 – December 3, 2000) age 83 yrs

Gwendolyn Elizabeth Brooks was an African American poet, author, activist, and teacher. Her work often dealt with the personal celebrations and struggles of ordinary people in her community. Brooks began writing at an early age with her mother’s encouragement. Her mother often told her “You are going to be the lady Paul Laurence Dunbar.” Brooks had her first poem published when she was just 13 in a children’s magazine. In 1968 she was named Poet Laureate for the state of Illinois. In 1985, she broke barriers by becoming the first Black woman appointed as a consultant in poetry. This position was with the Library of Congress. It is now known as Poet Laureate. She also received an American Academy of Arts and Letters Award. She was awarded the Frost Medal, a National Endowment for the Arts Award, and the Shelly Memorial Award. She received fellowships from the Academy of American Poets and the Guggenheim Foundation. In 1950, Gwendolyn Brooks was the first African American to win the Pulitzer Prize for her collection Annie Allen. The book tells in poetry about the life of Annie Allen, an African American girl growing to adulthood.