Reflections in Black: Sonia Sanchez

Sonia Sanchez was born in Birmingham, Ala. in 1934. She got her bachelor's degree from Hunter College in 1955 and pursued a graduate degree under the mentorship of poet Louise Bogan. In the 1960s, she worked with the Congress of Racial Equality before hearing Malcolm X and taking a separatist posture instead. She began a career as a professor at Downtown Community School in New York, later moving to San Francisco State College. As a professor, she pioneered in the fields of Black Studies and Women's Studies. She continued to release award-winning books of poetry for young people and adults with a commitment to considering and presenting the Black voice in all her pieces. This is her story. This segment originally aired on October 23, 2019.