The Black Poets

Edited by Dudley Randall

Publisher: Bantam (1985)

"The claim of The Black Poets  to being . . . an anthology is that it presents the full range of Black-American poetry, from the slave songs to the present day. It is important that folk poetry be included because it is  the root and inspiration of later, literary poetry. Not only does this book present the full range of Black poetry, but it presents most poets in  depths, and in some cases presents aspects of a poet  neglected or overlooked before. Gwendolyn Brooks  is represented not only by poems on racial and  domestic themes, but is revealed as a writer of superb love lyrics. Turning away from White models and  returning to their roots has freed Black poets to create a new poetry. This book records their progress."

—Dudley Randall