Annie Bethel Spencer (Lynchburg, Virginia) better known as Anne Spencer (1882-1975) was an American Black poet and active participant in the New Negro Movement and Harlem Renaissance period. Lynchburg is an Independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The Harlem Renaissance was named after the anthology The New Negro, edited by Alain Locke in 1925 The Harlem Renaissance was named after the anthology The New Negro, edited by Alain Locke in 1925
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. Dubois. Langston Hughes (February 1 1902 &ndash May 22 1967 was an American Poet, Novelist Playwright, Short story writer and Columnist WikipediaWikiProject Classical music#Biographical_infoboxes --> Marian Anderson (February 27 1897 – April 8 1993 was an American George Washington Carver (January 1864 – January 5 1943 was an African American Scientist, Botanist, Educator, and Inventor Thurgood Marshall ( July 2, 1908 – January 24, 1993) was an American Jurist and the first African American Martin Luther King Jr ( January 15, 1929 April 4, 1968) was an American clergyman, Activist and prominent leader James Weldon Johnson ( June 17, 1871 – June 26, 1938) was an American author politician diplomat critic journalist poet anthologist William Edward Burghardt Du Bois (duːˈbɔɪz ( February 23, 1868 August 27, 1963) was an American Civil rights activist
Noted theologian Dr. Howard Thurman named his younger daughter Anne Spencer Thurman after her. Howard Thurman (born 1899 in Daytona Beach Florida - April 10, 1981 in Daytona Beach Florida) was an influential American Author
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Life
Childhood
The only child of Joel Cephus Bannister and Sarah Louise Scales, Anne Spencer was born Annie Bethel Bannister in Henry County, Virginia on February 6, 1882. Henry County is a county located in the US state &mdash officially " Commonwealth " &mdash of Virginia. The Commonwealth of Virginia ( is an American state Events 46 BC - Julius Caesar defeats the combined army of Pompeian followers and Numidians under Metellus Scipio Year 1882 ( MDCCCLXXXII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Her parents separated while Annie was still very young, and she moved with her mother to West Virginia, where she was placed under the care of William T. West Virginia ( is a state in the Appalachian Upland South, and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States, bordered by Dixie, a prominent member of the black community. Sarah noticed her daughter’s quick abilities to become acquainted with the English language, and sent her to the Virginia Seminary to further her skills where she graduated in 1899. Year 1899 ( MDCCCXCIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Also in this year, she met her husband Edward Spencer, whom she later married on May 15, 1901. Events 1252 - Pope Innocent IV issues the Papal bull Ad exstirpanda, which authorizes but also limits the Year 1901 ( MCMI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting 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.
Adulthood
From 1903 to her death in 1975, Anne Spencer lived and worked in a home on 1313 Pierce Street in Lynchburg, VA. Year 1903 ( MCMIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display calendar of the Gregorian calendar or a Common year starting Year 1975 ( MCMLXXV) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. As an adult, Anne's poetry grew in popularity and meaning. The Harlem Renaissance allowed her to meet people like herself who inspired her poetry through their ideas and artwork and eventually lead 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, dislikes, and were all strong, independent thinkers. Anne became more and more involved in her local community and NAACP. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, usually abbreviated as NAACP, is one of the oldest and most influential Civil rights organizations 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 a mother. Together, she and Edward became loving parents and raised their three children Bethel, Alroy, and Chauncey Spencer.
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. Lynchburg is an Independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The local chapter of the NAACP was founded from her home. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, usually abbreviated as NAACP, is one of the oldest and most influential Civil rights organizations A garden and a one-room retreat where Anne did much of her writing, are also part of the property.
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, Howard. With Head and Heart: The Autobiography of Howard Thurman Chicago:Harvest/HBJ Book, 1981. ISBN 0-15-697648-X
- 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
- Entry at Modern American Poetry
- In Depth Informational Website
- Information on the Anne Spencer House from the VA African American Heritage Program
- Anne Spencer at Find A Grave
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