Essex Hemphill

Essex Hemphill (1957-1995) was an American poet, essayist, and activist who gave voice to the African-American gay community through his incisive spoken word performances and writings on race, sexuality, and AIDS. (ed. 1991), recipient of a Lambda Literary Award.NMAHC, BlackPast He also received a National Endowment for the Arts poetry fellowship in 1986 and appeared in documentaries like Tongues Untied.