Poet Gwendolyn Brooks becomes the first Black American to win a Pulitzer Prize, for her collection 'Annie Allen.'
At a Glance
- Date
- 1 May 1950
- Location
- Chicago, Illinois
- Key people
- Gwendolyn Brooks
- Category
- Arts & Literature
- Source
- Pulitzer Prize records (1950) · The Pulitzer Prizes
What It Meant Then
It broke a major barrier in American letters.
What It Means Now
Brooks later became Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress.
Cite this page
- MLA
- “Gwendolyn Brooks Wins the Pulitzer Prize.” Black-History.com, 30 Sept. 2026, https://black-history.com/on-this-day/gwendolyn-brooks-wins-the-pulitzer-prize/.
- APA
- Black-History.com Editors. (2026, September 30). Gwendolyn Brooks Wins the Pulitzer Prize. Black-History.com. https://black-history.com/on-this-day/gwendolyn-brooks-wins-the-pulitzer-prize/
- Chicago
- Black-History.com Editors. “Gwendolyn Brooks Wins the Pulitzer Prize.” Black-History.com. September 30, 2026. https://black-history.com/on-this-day/gwendolyn-brooks-wins-the-pulitzer-prize/.
Editorial Note
By the Black-History.com editors. Last reviewed 30 September 2026. To suggest a primary source or a correction, write to editors@black-history.com or use our corrections form.