JACKSON, Miss.–A celebration for one of the most celebrated female black writers of the 20th century took place Friday in the capital city.
Margaret Walker’s birthday was celebrated on the campus of Jackson State University where she started the “Institute for the Study of History, Life, and Culture of Black People” which is now called the “Margaret Walker Center.”
“We continue that legacy today as a museum and archive dedicated to the African-American experience,” said Robert Luckett who is the director of the center.
Walker would have been 98-years-old on July 12.
The museum portion has dozens of rare writings and items from her career as a poet and writer.
“One of our most prized items are Margaret Walker’s personal papers which are today the second largest collection of a black-female writer in the world only behind Maya Angelou,” said Luckett.
She is known best for her poem “For my People” among other writings.
