October 17th is the birth anniversary of the first published African-American poet, Jupiter Hammon, who was born into slavery in 1711, probably on Long Island. Consequently, October 17 is also Black Poetry Day.
Famous black poets include:
Maya Angelou
Sterling A. Brown
Lucille Clifton
Toi Derricotte
Paul Laurence Dunbar
Jessie Redmon Fauset
Angelina W. Grimke
Jupiter Hammon
Langston Hughes
Claude McKay
Anne Spencer
Ntozake Shange
Natasha Trethewey
Margaret Walker
Phillis Wheatley (one of the first female black poets)
