Black Poetry Day Poets Highlighted

The most recent issue of Saranac Review makes room for a special section of poetry about Black Poetry Day. “For almost thirty years, SUNY-Plattsburgh has been home to an annual celebration of Black Poetry Day. The event was first established by Stanley Ransom, a librarian from the Town of Huntington, Long Island, in1970. Its purpose is to recognize the contributors of Black poets to American life and culture and to honor Jupiter Hammon, the first African-American to publish his own verse,” says Alexis Levitin, co-host of Black Poetry Day and poetry editor of the magazine.

Poetry in this section comes from five of the Black Poetry Day celebrants: E. Ethelbert Miller, Gretna Wilkinson, Charles Fort, Marilyn Nelson, and Tony Medina.