Harlem, New York (July 9, 1936 – June 14, 2002) age 65 yrs

June Jordan, one of the most widely-published and highly-acclaimed Jamaican American writers of her generation. Jordan was known for her fierce commitment to human rights and political activism. Over her career, Jordan produced twenty-seven volumes of poems, essays, libretti, and work for children. She addressed the fundamental struggles of her era. She fought for civil rights, women’s rights, and sexual freedom. A prolific writer across genres, Jordan’s poetry is known for its immediacy and accessibility. Her work shows an interest in identity and the representation of personal, lived experience. Her poetry is often deeply autobiographical. Jordan’s work also often imagines a radical, globalized notion of solidarity monist the world’s marginalized and oppressed. Writings include volumes like Some Changes (1971), Living Room (1985) and Kissing God Goodbye: Poems 1991-1997 (1997).