Mari Evans (July 16, 1919[3][1] – March 10, 2017)[4] was an African-American poet, writer, and dramatist[5] associated with the Black Arts Movement.
[7] This decision prompted her to move to the East Coast, where she began to collaborate with various jazz musicians, including Wes Montgomery, a native of Indianapolis, Indiana.
[12] In addition to Evans, other prominent members of the movement were Amiri Baraka, Gwendolyn Brooks, Nikki Giovanni, Etheridge Knight, Haki R. Madhubuti, Larry Neal, and Sonia Sanchez, among others.
Evans accepted a position the following year as an assistant professor and writer-in-residence at Indiana University in Bloomington, where she taught until 1978.
[5] From 1968 to 1973, Evans produced, wrote, and directed The Black Experience, a weekly television program for WTTV in Indianapolis.
This second collection called for social change and included her best-known individual poem, "I Am a Black Woman".
[21][22] Evans's other memorable poems include: "Celebration", "If There be Sorrow", "Speak the Truth to the People", "When in Rome", and "The Rebel", among others.
[21][23] In her later work, Evans began to use experimental techniques and incorporate African-American idioms in ways that encouraged readers to identify with and respect the speaker.
"[citation needed] Although she is primarily known for her poetry, Evans also wrote short fiction, children's books, dramas, nonfiction articles, and essays.
[15] She also edited the "ground-breaking anthology", Black Women Writers (1950–1980): A Critical Evaluation (1984),[23] and wrote Clarity As Concept: A Poet's Perspective (2006), a collection of essays.
She also worked with theater groups and local community organizations including Girls, Inc. of Greater Indianapolis and the Young Men's Christian Association.
[11][27] Funeral services were held at Saint Luke's Methodist Church in Indianapolis due to the large crowd that expected to attend.