He is now deceased, but yes he was gay. He is known for his activism for equality and rights for gay men. His poetry addresses the sexual objectification of black men in white culture, relationships among gay black men and non gay black men, HIV/AIDS in the black community and the meaning of family.
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.
no, i shagged him
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.
there are two themes to this poem. first "everyone loves a baseball hero" and second is "some people can still be racist to black people"
Julius Hemphill's birth name is Julius Arthur Hemphill.
Paul Hemphill's birth name is Paul James Hemphill.
Shirley Hemphill's birth name is Hemphill, Shirley Ann.
Ray Hemphill's birth name is Elvin Ray Hemphill.
Arlo Hemphill is 6'.