| Anne Spencer | |
|---|---|
Anne Bethel Spencer in her wedding dress, 1900 |
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| Born | Annie Bethel Bannister February 6, 1882 Henry County, Virginia |
| Died | July 27, 1975 Lynchburg, Virginia |
| Ethnicity | Black |
| Alma mater | Virginia Seminary |
| Genres | poetry |
| Literary movement | Harlem Renaissance |
Annie Bethel Spencer (better known as Anne Spencer) (February 6, 1882, Henry County, Virginia – July 27, 1975, Lynchburg, Virginia) was an American Black poet and active participant in the New Negro Movement and Harlem Renaissance period.
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. Du Bois.
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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. Her parents separated while Annie was very young, and she moved with her mother to West Virginia, where she was placed under the care of William T. Dixie, a prominent member of the black community. Sarah noticed her daughter’s quick abilities with the English language and sent her to the Virginia Seminary, where she graduated in 1899. Also in this year, she met her husband, Edward Spencer, whom she married on May 15, 1901. 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.[1]
From 1903 until her death in 1975, Anne Spencer lived and worked in a home at 1313 Pierce Street in Lynchburg, VA. 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 led 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 and dislikes and were all strong, independent thinkers. Anne became more and more involved in her local community and the NAACP. 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 mother. Together, she and Edward lovingly raised their three children — Bethel, Alroy, and Chauncey Spencer.
Some of her letters are held at Yale University. She was included in the Norton Anthology of Literature by Women.
Anne Spencer lived and worked in a home on 1313 Pierce Street in Lynchburg, VA from 1903 until her death in 1975. The local chapter of the NAACP was founded from her home. A garden and a one-room retreat, where Anne did much of her writing, are also part of the property. Her papers are held at the Anne Spencer House, Lynchburg, VA.[2]
After its 1923 publication in the Crisis, "White Things" was never reprinted during her lifetime. Nevertheless, its impact was such that Keith Clark, in Notable Black American Women, referred to it as "the quintessential `protest' poem." [3]