Poet, activist, playwright, editor, teacher, scholar, and nurturer of Afro-American creativity, Sonia Sanchez holds a respected place in American letters of the past two decades. Her commitment to black communities throughout the country is apparent from the many roles she has played, and her untiring perpetuation of Afro-American literature is enviable. Shaped by the creativity of the 1960s, coming to maturity in the 1970s, and thriving as a scholar and teacher in the 1980s, Sanchez is one of the few creative artists who have significantly influenced the course of black American literature and culture. Consistently giving of her time, energy, and resources to a variety of causes in the black community, Sanchez provides the example for what she preaches, and she "lives the life that she sings about in her songs."

Sanchez was born Wilsonia Driver on 9 September 1934 in Birmingham, Alabama. Her mother, Lena Driver, died when Sonia...