1915 - 1998
Margaret Walker was an American poet, novelist, and educator born on July 7, 1915, in Birmingham, Alabama. She is best known for her renowned poem "For My People," which reflects the struggles and resilience of the African American experience, as well as her historical novel, "Jubilee," which tells the story of a young enslaved woman during the Civil War. Walker was a prominent figure in the Harlem Renaissance and devoted much of her life to literature and civil rights advocacy until her death on November 30, 1998.