We Real Cool
https://poets.org/poem/we-real-cool March Madness is one of the largest athletic events in the world. A single elimination basketball tournament with over 68 college teams, the competition is tough, and predicting outcomes is even tougher. Everyone loves seeing the underdog win, which is why I immediately picked Gwendolyn Brooks when my English teacher announced that our class would be creating our own Poetry March Madness competition. Often regarded as one of the most influential poets of the 20th-century, Gwendolyn Brooks’ impact on American culture is prevalent even today, nearly 20 years after her death. A revolutionary individual from day one, Brooks was born in 1917 at the tail end of the first World War. She published her first poem at the age of 13, and began frequently publishing poems in the Chicago Defender by the time she was 17. Watching the events of the Civil Rights Movement unfold, Brooks stayed true to her racial identity, amplifying the strength of black culture and e...