Sonia Sanchez: Facts, Discussion Forum, and Encyclopedia Article

All Topics

Sonia Sanchez

	Email		Print
	Bookmark		Link

	Sonia Sanchez
	Home Discussion
	Topics Sonia Sanchez Topic Home Sonia Sanchez is an African American poet most often associated with the Black Arts MovementBlack Arts Movement Overview The Black Arts Movement is commonly known as the artistic branch of the Black Power movement.... . Born Wilsonia Benita Driver in Birmingham, AlabamaBirmingham, Alabama Birmingham is the largest city in the U.S.... on September 9, 1934, she has authored over a dozen books of poetry, as well as plays and children's books. When Sanchez was only a year old, her mother died and Sanchez was sent to live with her paternal grandmother. In 1943, she moved to HarlemHarlem Harlem is a neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City, long known as a major black cultural and business center.... to live with her father, her sister, and her stepmother who was her father's third wife. In 1955, she received a B.A. in Political Science from Hunter CollegeHunter College Hunter College of The City University of New York is a senior college of the City University of New York , located on Manha... , where she had also taken several creative writing courses. Later, Sanchez completed postgraduate work at New York University where she studied poetry with Louise BoganLouise Bogan Overview Louise Bogan was an American poet.... . Sanchez married poet Etheridge KnightEtheridge Knight Etheridge Knight was an African-American poet who became a notable poet in 1968 with his debut volume, Poems from Prison... and she had three children with him. They later divorced. In 1972, she joined the Nation of IslamNation of Islam The Nation of Islam is a separatist, religious, and socio-political organization founded in the United States by Wallace Fa... , but left the organization after three years in 1975 because her views on women's rights conflicted with theirs. Sanchez has taught as a professor at eight universities and has lectured at over 500 college campuses across the US, including Howard University. She advocated the introduction of Black Studies courses in California. Sanchez was the first to create and teach a course based on Black Women and literature in the United States. Sanchez was the first Presidential Fellow at Temple University where she began working in 1977, where she held the Laura Carnell chair until her retirement in 1999. She is currently a poet-in-residence at Temple University. She has read her poetry in Africa, the Caribbean, China, Australia, Europe, Nicaragua, Canada, and Cuba. Sanchez on Bill Cosby's CBS show in the 1990s. The author is a member of the Plowshares, the Brandywine Peace Community and MADREMadré Madr? is a commune of the Mayenne d?partement, in France.... . She also supports MOMS in Alabama and the National Black United Front. Sanchez was a very influential part of the Civil Rights MovementCivil rights movement Historically, the civil rights movement was a concentrated period of time around the world of approximately one generation w... and the Black Arts MovementBlack Arts Movement Overview The Black Arts Movement is commonly known as the artistic branch of the Black Power movement.... . Sanchez was an advocate for the people. She was a member of CORE, where she met Malcolm XMalcolm X Malcolm X, born Malcolm Little, also known as Detroit Red and El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz was a black Muslim... . She wrote many plays and books that had to do with the struggles and lives of Black America. Sanchez has edited two anthologies on Black literature, We Be Word Sorcerers: 25 Stories by Black Americans and 360° of Blackness Coming at You. Sanchez is also known for her innovative melding of musical formats - like the blues - and traditional poetic formats like haikuHaiku Haiku is a mode of Japanese poetry, the late 19th century revision by Masaoka Shiki of the older , the opening verse of a l... and tanka. She also tends to use incorrect spelling to get her point across. In 1969, Sanchez was awarded the P.E.N. Writing Award. She was awarded the National Education Association Award 1977-1988. She also won the National Academy and Arts Award and the National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship Award in 1978-1979. In 1985, she was awarded the American Book Award for Homegirls and Handgrenades. She has also been awarded the Community Service Award from the National Black Caucus of State Legislators, the Lucretia Mott Award, the Governor's Award for Excellence in the Humanities, and the Peace and Freedom Award from the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom. Bibliography Poetry Homecoming (1968) We a Baddddd People (1970) Love Poems (1973) A Blues Book for a Blue Black Magic Woman (1974) Autumn Blues Continuous Fire: A Collection of Poetry Shake Down Memory: A Collection of Political Essays and Speeches It's a New Day: Poems for Young Brothas and Sistuhs (1971) Homegirls and Handgrenades(1985) Under a Soprano Sky (1987) I've Been a Woman: New and Selected Poems(1995) Wounded in the House of a Friend (1995) Does Your House have Lions (1998) Like the Singing Coming Off of Drums (1999) Shake Loose My Skin (2000) Ash(2001) Bum Rush the Page: A Def Poetry Jam (2001) Plays Black Cats and Uneasy Landings I'm Black When I'm Singing, I'm Blue When I Ain't (1982) The Bronx is Next (1970) Sista Son/Ji (1972) Uh Huh, But How Do It Free Us? (1975) Malcolm Man/Don't Live Here No More (1979) Children's Books It's a New Day A Sound Investment Anthologies We Be Word Sorcerers 360 Degrees of Blackness Coming at Ya! See also Mumia Abu-JamalMumia Abu-Jamal Mumia Abu-Jamal , a local journalist and political activist living in Philadelphia, was convicted of the murder of police of... External links <