Knowra Margaret Walker Margaret Walker Margaret Walker (1915–1998) was an American poet and novelist whose work draws on Black history and life. Her best-known works include “For My People” and the novel Jubilee.
For My People : A 1937 poem by Margaret Walker that voices the struggles, endurance, and hopes of Black Americans. This acclaimed poem established Walker’s public reputation and gives her literary vision its clearest early expression.
New Orleans : A Louisiana city with a distinctive history shaped by African, French, Spanish, and American cultures. Walker was born there in 1915, in a family deeply involved in Black cultural life.
Slavery in the United States : A system of forced labor and hereditary bondage that existed in the United States until its abolition after the Civil War. The institution’s violence and family separations shape the world depicted in Jubilee.
Black women's literature : Literature written by Black women, shaped by varied histories, communities, and artistic traditions. Walker’s poetry and fiction are central examples of its twentieth-century development.
Jubilee : A 1966 historical novel by Margaret Walker about an enslaved woman and her family before and after the Civil War. Walker’s novel turns family history and archival research into a multigenerational account of slavery and emancipation.
Dillard University : A historically Black university in New Orleans formed through the merger of several earlier institutions. Walker studied there before continuing her education at Northwestern University.
American Civil War : The 1861–1865 war between the United States and the Confederacy over slavery and secession. The war and its aftermath structure the historical arc of Jubilee.
Black Arts Movement : A Black cultural movement of the 1960s and 1970s that linked artistic expression with political self-determination. Walker’s later poetry engaged a period whose cultural politics renewed attention to Black identity and history.
Prophets for a New Day : A 1970 poetry collection by Margaret Walker addressing Black history, politics, and cultural life. The collection shows Walker extending her historical and political concerns beyond her best-known poem.
Northwestern University : A private research university in Evanston, Illinois, founded in 1851. Walker earned graduate degrees there and developed her scholarship in literature.
Show all 21