George Elliott Clarke (born February 12, 1960, in Windsor) | Black History Month | Seneca Students

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George Elliott Clarke is an Africadian, a term that he coined himself, poet and playwright (George Elliott Clarke, n.d.). He was born in Windsor, Nova Scotia, in 1960. Mr. Clarke is a seventh-generation Canadian of African American and Mi'kmaq Amerindian descent. His mother’s ancestors arrived in Canada as American slaves liberated by the British in the War of 1812 (George Elliott Clarke, n.d.). His work explores the cultural and social histories of Black Canadians through poetry, books, journals, and adaptions for the radio and stage (George Elliott Clarke, 2022). He received many accolades including: The Governor-General’s Award for Poetry, the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Achievement Award, the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Fellowship Prize, appointed to the Order of Nova Scotia and the Order of Canada at the rank of Officer, and eight honorary doctorates (George Elliott Clarke, 2022).

Reference:

Clarke, G.E. (n.d.). George Elliott Clarke: Poet, professor, Africadian. https://www.georgeelliottclarke.net/copy-of-george-elliott-clarke

George Elliott Clarke. (2022, January 23). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Elliott_Clarke

Poetry Foundation. (n.d.). George Elliott Clark. In Poetry Magazine.

https://www.poetryfoundation.org/search?query=George+Elliott+Clarke