Belated heavenly birthday wishes Dorothy West! Born June 2, 1907, Dorothy West was an African American novelist, short-story writer, and magazine editor associated with the Harlem Renaissance, a cultural movement in the 1920s and 1930s that celebrated black art, literature, and music. She passed away in 1998. Her most notable works are The Wedding and The Living is Easy.
Belated birthday wishes Elizabeth Alexander! Born May 30, Elizabeth Alexander is an African American poet, writer, and literary scholar who has served as the president of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation since 2018. Here are some of her notable works:
Belated heavenly birthday wishes Melvin Dixon! Born May 29, 1950, Melvin Dixon was an American Professor of Literature, and an author, poet and translator. He wrote about black gay men. He passed away in 1992. Some of his notable works:
The 2026 Mackinac Policy Conference theme was “A Quest for Common Ground.” I found the discussions fascinating and interesting on the various approaches to achieve a common ground among business, education, and government. After listening to these sessions, I then researched and found two books on the subject with a very different approach.
Belated birthday wishes Joan Morgan! Born May 25, Joan Morgan is a Jamaican-American author and journalist. Joan Morgan coined the term “hip-hop feminism” in 1999 with the publication of When Chickenheads Come Home to Roost, which is now studied at colleges across the country. She is currently the program director of the Center for Black Visual Culture at NYU.
Happy birthday Dominique Christina! Born May 22, Dominique Christina s a writer, performer and social activist. She is a champion at the National Poetry Series and Women of the World Poetry Slam. Christina’s 4th book Anarcha Speaks won the National Poetry Series in 2017. Here are her notable works:
Today’s post feature books written in the 1960s. Some of them are debut novels. I read a couple of them; I want to read a couple more!
Originally published in 1969
Originally published in 1966
Originally published in 1967
Originally published in 1967
Originally published in 1962
Heavenly birthday wishes James McEachin! Born May 20, 1930, James McEachin was an African American actor, author, veteran, and Purple Heart recipient. His memoir, Swing Low My Sweet Chariot was an international best seller. He passed away in 2025. Other notable books:
Heavenly birthday Lorraine Hansberry! Born May 19, 1930, Lorraine Hansberry was an African American playwright and writer. She was the first Black American female author to have a play performed on Broadway. Her most notable work was A Raisin in the Sun.
Belated heavenly birthday wishes to Eloise Greenfield! Born May 17, 1929, Eloise Greenfield was an award winning African American children’s book and biography author and poet famous for her descriptive, rhythmic style and positive portrayal of the African-American experience. She passed away in 2021. Here are just a few of her notable works:
