36: Colored People, 1994, by Henry Louis Gates, Jr. (1950–)
I had my students read this book
For ten of my last years.
A memoir—West Virginia—where
Gates grew and conquered fears.
He writes about his schooling there—
His relatives, the town
Of Piedmont, and, of course, of race,
Which didn’t bring him down.
He worked so hard and ended up
At Harvard (as you know),
Where he writes books and, now and then,
A special TV show.
We met him once,* did Joyce and I,
In Cleveland, where he spoke.
We shook his hand and talked a bit—
We loved to hear him joke.
He’s done so much research—he writes
With knowledge and with skill.
He’s made the journey to the top
Of scholarship’s steep hill.
*Thursday, January 18, 2003, at the Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards; Cleveland
Play House
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