Essex Hemphill was born in 1957.

Essex Hemphill died in 4 November 1995 of aids.

onomatopoeia

The poem "American Hero" by Essex Hemphill follows an irregular rhyme scheme that does not conform to a specific pattern. Throughout the poem, the rhymes are scattered and do not adhere to a consistent structure, reflecting the complex themes and emotions being explored in the work.

American Hero by Essex Hemphill is about a black basketball player who has nothing to lose on the night of the game. They win the game everyone loves him, but when the night is over everything goes back to normal, he is the black guy again (racism). The last 5 lines show the racism, he is depressed and feels unwanted.