Anne Spencer
Encyclopedia
Annie Bethel Spencer (better known as Anne Spencer) (February 6, 1882, Henry County, Virginia
– July 27, 1975, Lynchburg, Virginia
) was an American Black poet and active participant in the New Negro Movement and Harlem Renaissance
period.
Anne was the first Virginian and first African-American to have her poetry included in the Norton Anthology of American Poetry. Also an activist for equality and educational opportunities for all, she hosted such dignitaries as Langston Hughes
, Marian Anderson
, George Washington Carver
, Thurgood Marshall
, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., James Weldon Johnson
, and W. E. B. Du Bois.
, Virginia
on February 6, 1882. Her parents separated while Annie was very young, and she moved with her mother to West Virginia
, where she was placed under the care of William T. Dixie, a prominent member of the black community. Sarah noticed her daughter’s quick abilities with the English language and sent her to the Virginia Seminary
, where she graduated in 1899. Also in this year, she met her husband, Edward Spencer, whom she married on May 15, 1901.
The celebrated Harlem Renaissance poet James Weldon Johnson
helped to discover Annie’s talent as a poet, and also gave her the pen name of Anne Spencer.
allowed her to meet people like herself, who inspired her poetry through their ideas and artwork and eventually led to her work being published. Johnson and De Bois were regular visitors at her house and would often spend the day in deep conversation discussing everything from art to politics. They all shared similar likes and dislikes and were all strong, independent thinkers. Anne became more and more involved in her local community and the NAACP. Although most of her poems remain reflections of her own ideas and thoughts, hints of influence from her work with the Harlem Renaissance began to show. Aside from her involvement in her community, Anne’s most important role was that of mother. Together, she and Edward lovingly raised their three children — Bethel, Alroy, and Chauncey Spencer.
Some of her letters are held at Yale University
. She was included in the Norton Anthology of Literature by Women
.
, Lynchburg, VA.
Henry County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 57,930 people, 23,910 households, and 16,952 families residing in the county. The population density was 152 people per square mile . There were 25,921 housing units at an average density of 68 per square mile...
– July 27, 1975, Lynchburg, Virginia
Lynchburg, Virginia
Lynchburg is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The population was 75,568 as of 2010. Located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains along the banks of the James River, Lynchburg is known as the "City of Seven Hills" or "The Hill City." Lynchburg was the only major city in...
) was an American Black poet and active participant in the New Negro Movement and Harlem Renaissance
Harlem Renaissance
The Harlem Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned the 1920s and 1930s. At the time, it was known as the "New Negro Movement", named after the 1925 anthology by Alain Locke...
period.
Anne was the first Virginian and first African-American to have her poetry included in the Norton Anthology of American Poetry. Also an activist for equality and educational opportunities for all, she hosted such dignitaries as Langston Hughes
Langston Hughes
James Mercer Langston Hughes was an American poet, social activist, novelist, playwright, and columnist. He was one of the earliest innovators of the then-new literary art form jazz poetry. Hughes is best known for his work during the Harlem Renaissance...
, Marian Anderson
Marian Anderson
Marian Anderson was an African-American contralto and one of the most celebrated singers of the twentieth century...
, George Washington Carver
George Washington Carver
George Washington Carver , was an American scientist, botanist, educator, and inventor. The exact day and year of his birth are unknown; he is believed to have been born into slavery in Missouri in January 1864....
, Thurgood Marshall
Thurgood Marshall
Thurgood Marshall was an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court, serving from October 1967 until October 1991...
, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., James Weldon Johnson
James Weldon Johnson
James Weldon Johnson was an American author, politician, diplomat, critic, journalist, poet, anthologist, educator, lawyer, songwriter, and early civil rights activist. Johnson is remembered best for his leadership within the NAACP, as well as for his writing, which includes novels, poems, and...
, and W. E. B. Du Bois.
Childhood
The only child of Joel Cephus Bannister and Sarah Louise Scales, Anne Spencer was born Annie Bethel Bannister in Henry CountyHenry County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 57,930 people, 23,910 households, and 16,952 families residing in the county. The population density was 152 people per square mile . There were 25,921 housing units at an average density of 68 per square mile...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
on February 6, 1882. Her parents separated while Annie was very young, and she moved with her mother to West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
, where she was placed under the care of William T. Dixie, a prominent member of the black community. Sarah noticed her daughter’s quick abilities with the English language and sent her to the Virginia Seminary
Virginia University of Lynchburg
Virginia University of Lynchburg is a private, historically black university located in Lynchburg, Virginia. The university currently offers instruction and degrees, primarily in religious studies, including a Doctorate of Ministry program.-History:...
, where she graduated in 1899. Also in this year, she met her husband, Edward Spencer, whom she married on May 15, 1901.
The celebrated Harlem Renaissance poet James Weldon Johnson
James Weldon Johnson
James Weldon Johnson was an American author, politician, diplomat, critic, journalist, poet, anthologist, educator, lawyer, songwriter, and early civil rights activist. Johnson is remembered best for his leadership within the NAACP, as well as for his writing, which includes novels, poems, and...
helped to discover Annie’s talent as a poet, and also gave her the pen name of Anne Spencer.
Adulthood
From 1903 until her death in 1975, Anne Spencer lived and worked in a home at 1313 Pierce Street in Lynchburg, VA. As an adult, Anne's poetry grew in popularity and meaning. The Harlem RenaissanceHarlem Renaissance
The Harlem Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned the 1920s and 1930s. At the time, it was known as the "New Negro Movement", named after the 1925 anthology by Alain Locke...
allowed her to meet people like herself, who inspired her poetry through their ideas and artwork and eventually led to her work being published. Johnson and De Bois were regular visitors at her house and would often spend the day in deep conversation discussing everything from art to politics. They all shared similar likes and dislikes and were all strong, independent thinkers. Anne became more and more involved in her local community and the NAACP. Although most of her poems remain reflections of her own ideas and thoughts, hints of influence from her work with the Harlem Renaissance began to show. Aside from her involvement in her community, Anne’s most important role was that of mother. Together, she and Edward lovingly raised their three children — Bethel, Alroy, and Chauncey Spencer.
Some of her letters are held at Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
. She was included in the Norton Anthology of Literature by Women
Norton Anthology of Literature by Women
The Norton Anthology of Literature by Women: The Traditions in English, published by W. W. Norton & Company, is one of the Norton Anthology series for use in English literary studies. It is edited by Sandra Gilbert and Susan Gubar...
.
Anne Spencer House Museum and Garden
Anne Spencer lived and worked in a home on 1313 Pierce Street in Lynchburg, VA from 1903 until her death in 1975. The local chapter of the NAACP was founded from her home. A garden and a one-room retreat, where Anne did much of her writing, are also part of the property. Her papers are held at the Anne Spencer HouseAnne Spencer House
The Anne Spencer House, in Lynchburg, Virginia, USA was, from 1903 to 1975, the home of Anne Spencer, a poet of the Harlem Renaissance. She was the first Virginian and first African-American to have her poetry included in the Norton Anthology of American Poetry...
, Lynchburg, VA.
Works
- AT THE CARNIVAL, Poetry Archive
- BEFORE THE FEAST OF SHUSHAN, Poetry Archive
- TRANSLATION, Poetry Archive
Anthologies
- The Book of American Negro Poetry, (1922), James Weldon Johnson
- Negro Poets and Their Poems, (1923), Robert T. Kerlin
- American Poetry Since 1900 (1923), Louis Untermeyer
- The New NegroThe New NegroThe New Negro: An Interpretation is an anthology of fiction, poetry, and essays on African and African American art and literature edited by Alain Locke, who lived in Washington, DC and taught at Howard University during the Harlem Renaissance...
(1925), Alain Locke - Caroling Dusk (1925) Countee Cullen
- The Poetry of the Negro, 1746-1949 (1948), Langston Hughes and Arna Bontemps
Criticism
After its 1923 publication in the Crisis, "White Things" was never reprinted during her lifetime. Nevertheless, its impact was such that Keith Clark, in Notable Black American Women, referred to it as "the quintessential `protest' poem."
External references
- Shockley, Ann Allen, Afro-American Women Writers 1746-1933: An Anthology and Critical Guide, New Haven, Connecticut: Meridian Books, 1989. ISBN 0-452-00981-2
- Thurman, HowardHoward ThurmanHoward Thurman was an influential American author, philosopher, theologian, educator and civil rights leader. He was Dean of Theology and the chapels at Howard University and Boston University for more than two decades, wrote 21 books, and in 1944 helped found a multicultural church.-Early life...
. With Head and Heart: The Autobiography of Howard Thurman Chicago:Harvest/HBJ Book, 1981. ISBN 0-15-697648-X
- Anne Spencer House Museum and Garden http://www.aaheritageva.org/search/sites.asp?MailingListID=90 - African American Heritage of Virginia http://www.aaheritageva.org
- Spencer, Anne. Anne Spencer: Ah, how poets sing and die!. Ed. Nina V. Salmon. Lynchburg: Warwick House Publishing, 2001
- Honey, Maureen, Shadowed Dreams: Women's Poetry of the Harlem Renaissance (Multi-Ethnic Literatures of the Americas), Rutgers; 2 Rev Exp edition (October 25, 2006). ISBN 0813538866
External links
- Reuben, Paul P., Chapter 9: Anne Spencer (1882-1975), PAL: Perspectives in American Literature - A Research and Reference Guide - An Ongoing Project
- Entry at Modern American Poetry
- In Depth Informational Website
- Anne Spencer House and Garden,Lynchburg
- Information on the Anne Spencer House from the VA African American Heritage Program