In the Spotlight: Black History Month
African-American and African Diaspora Art:
Early gay and lesbian African-American and African Diaspora artists did not openly declare their homosexuality, but in the late twentieth century, many artists began to explore issues of gender and sexuality.
http://www.glbtq.com/sfeatures/afamdiasporaart.html
African-American Literature:
Gay Male: The African-American gay male tradition in literature consists of a substantial body of texts, spans a period of nearly seven decades, and includes some of the most gifted writers of the twentieth century.
http://www.glbtq.com/sfeatures/afamlitgay.html
Lesbian: Most African-American Lesbian Literature is as concerned with racism as it is with sexuality, causing many writers to construct Afrocentric sexual identities that affirm the power of black women.
http://www.glbtq.com/sfeatures/afamlitlesbian.html
Related entries
* Glbtq African Americans frequently experience racism in predominantly white glbtq communities and homophobia in heterosexual black society, but the multiple oppressions faced by black glbtq people are now being recognized.
http://www.glbtq.com/social-sciences/african_americans.html
* Activist and author Keith Boykin (b. 1965) has committed his life to advancing the rights of the African-American and glbtq communities and to enhancing communication between them.
http://www.glbtq.com/social-sciences/boykin_k.html
* One of the key African-American civil rights activists of the 20th century, Bayard Rustin (1910-1987) and his legacy have long been obscured because of embarrassment over his homosexuality and early involvement in the Communist Party.
Notable Birthdays, February 8-14
February 8: French philosopher Pierre-Daniel Huet, 1630; poet Elizabeth Bishop, 1911; actor James Dean, 1931; artist and scholar Harmony Hammond, 1944
February 9: Poet Amy Lowell, 1874; Quebecoise novelist Jovette Marchessault, 1938; novelist and poet Alice Walker, 1944
February 10: Tennis great William "Big Bill" Tilden, 1893; German playwright Bertolt Brecht, 1898; American writer Charles Henri Ford, 1910; songwriter and performer Peter Allen, 1944; French filmmaker Jean Daniel Cadinot, 1944
February 11: Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin, 1962
February 12: German statesman Philipp zu Eulenburg, 1857; film and theater director and designer Franco Zeffirelli, 1923; writer Jacqueline Woodson, 1964
February 13: Writer and activist James Barr (James Fugate), 1922
February 14: Make-up artist Kevyn Aucoin, 1962
