Gwendolyn Brooks
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Gwendolyn Brooks was one of the earliest popular African-American poets. She was appointed Poet Laureate of both the state of Illinois and the United States. She's from Kansas, and she didn't come from an incredibly wealthy background. She faced a lot of racial prejudice during her childhood, which inspired some of her poetry. This period was when she got her view of racial issues in cities. As she grew up, she began writing poetry, and published her first book in 1945. Brooks actively published poetry until her death in December 2000.
The Poetry Foundation's website offers quite a bit of insight into Gwendolyn Brooks' life, including many of the firsts she had- she was the first poet laureate of the United States, for example. It also provides lots of information on her early life and its effect on her poetry.
The University of Illinois website provides quite a bit of information about Gwendolyn Brooks' connection to Chicago and Illinois. It also provides quite a bit of information about her various awards and unique things about her career.