Essay --

Have you heard of any famous African Americans who contributed greatly to the United States of America? Whether you answered the question yes, or no, I know of one African American who did great things for America. Gwendolyn Brooks was an African American poet who wrote about the lives of an every day African American during the 1900’s. She struggled in her lifetime just as everyone else in the world. Only, she did something about her struggles. Whenever she saw something interesting and/or shocking, she would write her poetry about the very thing. People all around could relate to her poetry, therefore having a great impact on their lives. Gwendolyn Elizabeth Brooks was born on June 7 of 1917. Even though she was born in Topeka, Kansas, she grew up in Chicago. As a part of the Great Migration, her family moved over to Chicago. As I said before, Brooks’ writing was mostly influenced by the rest of the world. From going to three different high schools, Gwendolyn picked up on so much racial prejudice that it shaped how her writing would later be. At the age of thirteen, G...