The Power of Poetry

David Brooks had aspirations of being a doctor, but racism proved to be a formidable foe to African American aspirations.To support his family, Mr. Brooks became a janitor. A love for literature flourished; David sang and recited poetry in his home. Mr. Brooks  noticed  his daughter scribbling two-lined verses at the age of seven. In two years, the verses became four lines. His wife, Keziah, also noticed the burgeoning talent of their child. Mrs. Brooks stated, "You are going to be a lady Paul Laurence Dunbar." The daughter believed her mother, and became the first African American to win the Pulitzer Prize for poetry, the recipient of multiple Guggenheim Fellowships, and Poet Laureate Consultant to the Library of Congress and one of the most accomplished poets of all time.
                                                                         
                                                                                      elizabeth alexamder
                                                                            The Essential Gwendolyn Brooks
                                                                                                and
                                                                                      Russell L. Adams
                                                                             Great Negroes Past and Present