Today would have been the 98th birthday of one of the most distinguished postwar poets, Gwendolyn Brooks. Brooks was the winner of the 1950 Pulitzer Prize for her 1949 book Annie Allen, and was the first African American to win the award. She consistently wrote works that expressed her mastery of language and compassionate and illuminating response to a complex environment. To celebrate Gwendolyn Brooks and the contribution she has made to our community, here is a list of 10 of her quotes that will make you scream “YAS!”
1. “When you use the term minority or minorities in reference to people, you’re telling them that they’re less than somebody else.”
2. “Poetry is life distilled.”
3. “Reading is important – read between the lines. Don’t swallow everything.”
4. “I don’t like the idea of the black race being diluted out of existence. I like the idea of all of us being here.”
5. “Don’t let anyone call you a minority if you’re black or Hispanic or belong to some other ethnic group. You’re not less than anybody else.”
6.“It is brave to be involved / To be not fearful to be unresolved.”
7. “Very early in life I became fascinated with the wonders language can achieve. And I began playing with words.”
8. “Exhaust the little moment. Soon it dies. And be it gash or gold it will not come again in this identical guise.”
9. “We are each other’s harvest; we are each other’s business; we are each other’s magnitude and bond.”
10. “I am interested in telling my particular truth as I have seen it.”
Rest easy.
For more content like this, subscribe to our weekly digest below.
[mc4wp_form]
