Born: January 20 1944, United States
Died: June 17 1989
Country most active: United States
Also known as: NA
Pat Parker was an American poet and activist who drew from her experiences as an African-American lesbian feminist. Her poetry spoke to her difficult childhood growing up in poverty, coping with sexual assault, and the murder of her sister. At 18, Parker was in an abusive relationship and suffered a miscarriage after being pushed down a flight of stairs. Following her second divorce, she came out as lesbian – by “embracing her sexuality”, she was freed and “knew no limits when it came to expressing the innermost parts of herself”. Parker was a political activist and was involved with the Black Panther Party, Black Women’s Revolutionary Council and formed the Women’s Press Collective. She participated in various forms of activism, particularly in the areas of gay and lesbian communities, domestic violence, and rights of people of color. She released five collections of poetry collections: Child of Myself (1972), Pit Stop (1975), Movement in Black (1978), Woman Slaughter (1978), and Jonestown and Other Madness (1985).
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