Writer Rita Dove was the youngest person and the first African American to be appointed Poet Laureate Consultant by the Library of Congress. She has also won the Pulitzer for her book Thomas and Beulah. Synopsis Born on August 28, 1952 in Akron, Ohio, African-American poet Rita Dove loved poetry and music from a young age. She was an exceptional student and was invited to … Continue reading Profile: Rita Dove
Screenwriter and director John Singleton’s Boyz n the Hood led to a Academy Award for Best Director, making him the first African-American ever nominated. Synopsis John Singleton was born January 6, 1968 in Los Angeles, California. In 1991, his film Boyz n the Hood won him an Academy Award nomination for Best Director. He followed the win with Poetic Justice in 1993 and Higher Learning … Continue reading Profile:John Singleton
Who Is Lee Daniels? Lee Daniels was born December 24, 1959 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He is known for producing films that tackle such thorny issues as race, image, family violence, and sex. Along the way he’s shown that these stories can succeed at the box office. His critically acclaimed 2002 hit, Monster’s Ball, was not only an Oscar winner, but turned a $2.5 million production into … Continue reading Profile: Lee Daniels
Multiple Grammy winner and “Queen of Soul,” Aretha Franklin is known for such hits as “Respect,” “Freeway of Love” and “I Say a Little Prayer.” Who Is Aretha Franklin? Aretha Franklin was born in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1942. A gifted singer and pianist, Franklin toured with her father’s traveling revival show and later visited New York, where she signed with Columbia Records. Franklin went on to … Continue reading Profile: Aretha Franklin
Black Art Story 