The black American experience in this country has been transcribed and translated into the beautiful words of black poets. They serve as the griots, the mediums, and the historians so that future generations can appreciate the past. Wordsmiths like Langston Hughes and Maya Angelou have made their mark in this society. They will go down in the annals of history as giants but we should not forget about their predecessors and contemporaries. On this National Poetry Day, let's celebrate some of the other black poets who have given voice to black people in America despite being constantly told to be silent. 

Jessie Redmon Fauset

Fauset was a Harlem Renaissance writer during the time of Langston Hughes. From 1919 to 1926 she served as the literary editor of The Crisis under W. E. B. Du Bois. Eventually, 58 of her 77 published works first appeared in the journal's pages. She is the author of four novels, including Plum Bun (1928) and The Chinaberry Tree: A Novel of American Life (1931). Check out her poem "Lolotte, Who Attires My Hair" for a sample of her writing.

Rita Dove

Photo: Literaryarts.org

Rita Dove was the first black person to serve as Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress. Check out some of her poems "Adolescence II" and "The Bistro Styx." 

Robert Hayden

Photo: The Famous People

Hayden's Detroit upbringing helped influenced his world outlook and his writings. He was also influenced by the lasting legacy of the Harlem Renaissance that gave birth to Langston Hughes. For a sample of his writings check out "El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz (Malcolm X), " "Frederick Douglass" and "Middle Passage."

Imamu Amiri Baraka

Photo: Democracy Now

Imamu Amiri Baraka (1934-2014) was an activist and political firebrand that gave white supremacy the business through the use of his voice and writings. Influencing John Coltrane, Theophilus Monk, and Sun Ra to the Cuban Revolution and Malcolm X, Baraka was a bad man. The poet has also been studied in cultural and political courses in universities around the world. One of his great poems, "Ka 'Ba," gives you a hint of his politics and love for black people. 

Paul Laurence Dunbar

Photo: Poetry Foundation

Paul Laurence Dunbar (1872 – 1906) was the first African-American poet to garner national critical acclaim for his work. He lived a short life dying at the age of 33 but Dunbar managed to create a lasting impression on those who came after him. Some of his works include "We Wear the Mask," "Sympathy" and "Life's Tragedy."

James A. Emanuel 

Photo: New York Times

Emanuel was born in 1921 in Nebraska and died in 2014. His distinct voice as an author and poet has made him a legend among many of his contemporaries. When he was diving into the complexities of race in America, he was creating and perfecting a new literary genre called jazz-and-blues haiku. Here are some his poems "Four-Letter Word,"
"For A Depressed Woman," "Michael Jackson," "Greens."

Yusef Komunyakaa

Photo: Poetry Foundation

Born 1941, the Pulitzer Prize-winning poet used his experience as a Vietnam War veteran and a black man growing up in Louisiana as his creative inspiration. Komunyakaa is known for his poems "My Father's Love Letters," "Prisoners"
"Potions."