MAIN Education Black History Month Poems & Quotes

Poetry has always been a way to express feelings of joy, sorrow, outrage, humor and hope.

The poetry of the black community in America is no exception. Whether the verses were put down to accompany music or as stand alone literature, there is a power captured in the words that can send your heart soaring or bring tears to your eyes.

On the Web, check out top sites featuring the best of Black American poetry and literature, along with memorable quotes both humorous and insightful...

More about black poems and poets around the Web:

The Poetry and Lyrics of the African American Registry - A selection of African American poetry arranged by author under the categories: Celebration of Blackness; Family; Freedom; Healing; Love; Rituals: Music, Dance, Sports. You'll find familiar names such as Marian Anderson, Thelonious Monk, Maya Angelou and many others that may surprise you...

Poets.org - Black History - A treasure trove of information and featured poems by some of the most famous and little known black poets with related discussions, history, bios, videos, audio poems, lessons plans.

A Brief Guide to the Harlem Renaissance - This article focuses on the works of Gwendolyn Brooks, Sterling A. Brown, Countee Cullen, Robert Hayden, Langston Hughes, James Weldon Johnson, Claude McKay and Jean Toomer and includes their major works. There are some other good resources on the site as well, just use the search and enter African-American or Harlem...

African-American Poets of the Last Century - This is actually a curriculum unit for a high school study of African American poetry, but it is one of the best resources online for selected poetry and understanding the power behind the use of words to express the soul.

Quotes from the perspective of African Americans - These quotes are not all the thoughts of recognized poets, but if capturing the essence of a thought, a feeling or an issue in a few well selected words can be considered poetry, then all 98 of these quotations are the words of poets...

African American Quotes - A long list of sites that focus on African proverbs, and literary, inspirational, and humorous quotations from famous African American political leaders, authors and poets...

More Resources for Black History Month

Famous African-Americans | Black History Lesson Plans

Black History Resources | A History of Hip Hop

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