5 Poems by Dudley Randall

Dudley Randall (1914- 2000)
Describing Dudley Randall's funeral service, Betty DeRamus writes, "They called him a friend, mentor, an inspiration, a Boy Scout troop leader, a calming influence during the 1967 riot, a Wayne County librarian, a poet-in-residence at University of Detroit and Detroit's poet Laureate." (1)
The son of a Congregational Minister (Arthur George Clyde,) and a teacher (Ada Vila,) Dudley Randall was born January 14, 1914 in Washington D.C. The family moved to Detroit when he was 6. (2) At thirteen, his first published poem was printed in the Detroit Free Press. (3) In 1949, after serving in the military during WWII, he earned a B.A. In English at Wayne State University. He received a Master's degree in Library Science at the University of Michigan in 1951. (4)
He worked as a librarian at Morgan State and Lincoln Missouri universities and at Wayne State Federated Library System before becoming librarian and poet in residence at the University of Detroit. (5)
In 1952 "Booker T. and W.E.B." was published. In the poem he explore the philosophical differences between Booker T Washington and W.E.B. Du Bois. (6) He was gratified that W.E.B. Du Bois (1868-1963) lived to see its publication.(7)
Randall translated from Russian poems of Aleksander Pushkin and Konstantin Simonov. (8)
In 1965 Randall founded Broadside Press and published other African American poets and writers.(9)
Randall sunk into a severe depression that lasted several years, however, he spent the time during his recovery productively. (10)
Dudley Randall died August 5, 2000.
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Text of Poems:
The Profile on the Pillow
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Booker T. and W.E.B.
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On Getting A Natural (For Gwendolyn Brooks)
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Langston Blues
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A Poet Is Not A Jukebox
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Sources & Notes:
(1) Modern American Poetry: Betty DeRemus, The Detroit Free Press, obituary 8/15/00. (Notes: 1)
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(2) Wikipedia: Dudley Randall (Notes 2, 4
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(3) Modern American Poetry: Naomi Long Madgett, "Dudley Randall's Life and Career" (Notes: 2, 3, 5,6, 8, 9, 10.)
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Chicken Bones: Bio-Sketches of Dudley Randall (from Eugene Redmond, Drumvoices: The Mission of Afro-American Poetry: A critical History. Doublday, 1976 (Note 7)
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[@nickbaily3996]

Good stuff. He seems strangely neglected - none of his collections are still in print. I only heard of him from 'This Is Us'. Is that actually Randall speaking? Thanks!

[@dimasandradeguitar]

Me too, I just discovered him after see in this is us. Amazing!

[@keithbaucum7156]

I love this.

[@Idlinfarm]

I hadn't known his poems. Thank you for a fine reading of them. I identify with being black.