In honor of Black History Month, here is a list of my favorite poets of color. Each of these gifted writers provide insight into their experiences, forcing the reader to put themselves in the poet’s shoes. These are some of my favorite black poets:
- Terrance Hayes
Terrance Hayes is currently a professor at NYU. He writes many poems about his experience with racism, such as in his poem “Talk.”
- Danez SmithÂ
Smith’s poetry collection Don’t Call Us Dead focuses on their identity as a queer person of color. They also explore the dynamic between other queer people, law enforcement, and personal sexuality.Â
- Lucille Clifton
As a woman confident in her body, Clifton worked to spread self love and sexual liberation. Although she has passed, Clifton’s resonant message of female empowerment can be found in her poems, such as “homage to my hips.”
- Langston Hughes
Although Hughes is not contemporary, his poems still resonate today. “I, too” depicts the reality of how people of color were mistreated, but all those who treated them horribly will be ashamed when they realize how wrong their judgments were.Â