Biographical Timeline

1934 - Born Wilsonia Benita Driver on September 9, in Birmingham, Alabama.

1943 - Moves to Harlem with her sister to live with their father.

1955 - Earns her B.A. in political science from Hunter College; does postgraduate study at New York University.

1950's - 1960's - Starts up a writing workshop in Greenwich Village of New York City with writers Leroi Jones (later known as Amiri Baraka), Don L. Lee (later known as Haki R. Madhubuti, and Larry Neal; formed the "Broadside Quartet" with Nikki Giovanni, Madhubuti, and Etheridge Knight.

1960's - Gets involved in activism work by supporting the ideas of the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE).

1965 - Begins teaching career in San Francisco at the Downtown Community School, followed by a position at what is now San Francisco State University.

1969 - Publishes her first book of poetry, Homecoming.

1971 - Converts to and joins the Nation of Islam; also publishes her first work for children,  It's  A New Day: Poems for Young Brothas and Sistuhs.

1976 - Leaves the Nation due to her being tired of the repression of women.

1977 - Begins teaching at Temple University where she later becomes the first Presidential Fellow and holds the post of Laura Carnell Chair in English.

1999 - Retires from her career in education.

2007 - Re-publishes a new edition of her volume from the 1980's Homegirls and Handgrenades.


2010 - Publishes Morning Haiku, her collection of poetry in over 10 years since Shake Loose My Skin, through Beacon Press.