Vivian Elizabeth Ayers Allen (born July 30, 1923) is an American poet, playwright, cultural activist, museum curator and classicist.[1][2]

Family and education

She was born in Chester, South Carolina,[3] in 1923.[4] She is African-American and has indigenous heritage, as her grandfather was Cherokee.[5]

She was educated at the historic Brainerd Institute in Chester, where her parents and her grandparents had also been educated,[6] growing up in a house across the street from the school.[7] Her sister Sarah Mildred Ayers Smith was valedictorian of the class of 1937,[7] whilst Allen graduated in 1939 as a member of the final graduating class from the institution.[8] Whilst at school there, she studied Latin and French[9] and learned to play concert piano.[10]

She then studied at Barber-Scotia College and Bennett College.[11] She has received Honorary Doctorate degrees from Wilberforce University, in 1995,[12][13] and her alma mater Bennett College, in 2006.[12][14]

She married dentist Andrew Arthur Allen Sr. in New York City[15] and they had four children: jazz trumpet musician Andrew Arthur "Tex" Allen Jr.;[16] actress and dancer Debbie Allen;[17] regional president of TD Bank Hugh Allen;[9] and actress Phylicia Rashad.[18][19] The couple divorced in 1954 after nine years of marriage due to being "manifestly incompatible."[20] She is known as "Ma Turk" by her family and her daughter Debbie named her own daughter Vivian Nixon after Allen.[21]

Allan has attended high-profile Hollywood events with her daughters, including the unveiling of Debbie's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1991 and the 65th Academy Awards in 1993.[22]

Poetry

Allen's poetry is usually written in the form of prose paragraph with frequent use of dashes and ellipses.[15] One of her earliest poems, "Spice of Dawn" (1952), was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1953.[22][23]

Her 1957 book-length poem "Hawk" (1957)[1] was an allegory of freedom, personal struggle and responsibility set in space during 2052.[15][11] The poem foreshadowed the first successes in space travel,[24] published just 11 weeks before the launch of Sputnik I (the first artificial satellite sent from Earth into orbit).[25] It earned praise from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA),[24] who have described Allen as "a distinguished woman of Apollo, whose remarkable contributions significantly advanced our understanding of space exploration."[26] There are enlarged reproductions of select lines exhibited at the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.[11] The poem was formally published for the first time by Clemson University Press in 2023,[1] based on an exemplar of the original self-published version held in the University of Wisconsin-Madison Special Collections.[27]

In 1964, her poetry was included in Langston Hughes' collection New Negro Poets, USA.[28][29] In 1971, she began publishing a literary magazine, The Adept Quarterly.[15]

Allen was also a playwright. She wrote "Bow Boly" about an angel who comes to earth for a mission that it becomes entangled with,[15] and in 1973 wrote "The Marriage Ceremony," which explored communal or "tribal" involvement in African-American marriage ceremonies.[30]

Academic

Allen also had an academic career, becoming the librarian[4] and first African-American faculty member at Rice University,[31] Houston, Texas, in 1966.[12]

In 1973, she collaborated with the Harris County Community Association and a group of certified teachers to produce the program “Workshops in Open Fields.” It aimed to educate preschool children in the arts.[11] She also mentored young black artists, including the filmmaker Carroll Parrott Blue.[32]

Mexico

Allen lived in Texas for over forty years.[2] She moved with her children to Mexico for a year to give them the opportunity to have new experiences away from the "racist" American south.[10][18][33] Her children learned to speak Spanish and attended ballet performances by Mexican dancers.[2] Her daughter Debbie danced with the Ballet Nacional de Mexico.[17][34]

In Mexico, Allen studied Greek literature, the Mayan culture,[10] and Mesoamerican Math-Astronomy.[12]

New York and ADEPT

In 1984, Allen moved to New York where she founded the ADEPT New American Museum of the Southwest in Mount Vernon,[5][28][35] organising community arts projects for the local black community,[36] supporting underrepresented minority artists, and stressing the contributions of both African-Americans and Indigenous American peoples to the arts.[5]

She became friends with Jimmie Durham[37][38] and performed with him and Muhammed Ali in a production of Durham's work "My Land."[39]

Later life

In 1994, Allen was honored by the National Council of Negro Women for her "progressive thinking" and for the "positive image she projects" for black women.[40]

Allen's daughter Phylicia purchased the 12-acre property which the Brainerd Institute once occupied in 1999.[41] Allen became the founding director of the Brainerd Institute Heritage,[9] supported by the Chester Historical Society, and aiming both to preserve the history of a school that helped shape her but also to commemorate the long struggle of black Americans to provide their children with a good education.[7] Work to restore the structural integrity of Kumler Hall was completed in 2012.[42] Literacy summer programs were launched in 2017,[43][44] and free dance classes have been held in partnership with the Debbie Allen Dance Academy.[6]

In 2007, Allen and her daughters received the Arts Honor from the Jack and Jill of America Foundation.[45] In 2008, Allen was awarded a Medal of Honor by Winthrop University.[46]

Her poem "On Status,"[47] was performed in 2006 on HBO's Def Poetry Jam.[citation needed] It was also sampled by Solange Knowles on the song "S McGregor" from her 2019 album When I Get Home.[48][49]

Centenary

Allen became a centenarian in 2023.[9][25] A 100th birthday party was held on the grounds of the Brainerd Institute where her daughter Phylicia read "Hawk" with musical accompaniment from the Claflin University Choir.[50] Another celebration event was held at the Rhimes Performing Arts Center in Los Angeles,[25] with readings and performances by celebrities including Angela Bassett, Jesse Williams, Alexis Floyd, Cory Henry, and her daughter Debbie Allen, amongst others.[1]

Allen celebrated her 101st birthday in 2024.[51]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Nixon, Angela (August 21, 2023). "Clemson University Press to publish Vivian Ayers Allen's book "Hawk"". Clemson News. Retrieved February 9, 2025.
  2. ^ a b c Barnes, Marian E. (1996). "Vivian Ayers. Mother, Poet, Author, Museum Curator". Black Texans: They Overcame. Eakin Press. ISBN 978-1-57168-055-6.
  3. ^ Coleman, Glinda Price; White, Gina Price (2000). Chester County. Arcadia Publishing. p. 97. ISBN 978-0-7385-0649-4.
  4. ^ a b Tudtud, Christell Fatima M. (February 28, 2021). "Phylicia Rashad & Debbie Allen's Mother Is a Renowned Poet — Meet Vivian Ayers Allen". news.amomama.com. Retrieved February 10, 2025.
  5. ^ a b c Katz, William Loren; Franklin, Paula Angle (1993). Proudly Red and Black: Stories of African and Native Americans. Atheneum. p. 79. ISBN 978-0-689-31801-6.
  6. ^ a b Wilson, Wendy L. (October 24, 2020). "Saving Our Landmarks". Essence. Retrieved February 10, 2025.
  7. ^ a b c Hershenson, Roberta (May 1, 2002). "Faraway School Close to Mount Vernon Woman". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 10, 2025.
  8. ^ "About Brainerd Institute Heritage". Brainerd Institute Heritage. Retrieved February 9, 2025.
  9. ^ a b c d "2023-2024 Bill 4504: Dr. Vivian Ayers-Allen". South Carolina Legislature Online. Retrieved February 10, 2025.
  10. ^ a b c Kimball, Tracy (June 17, 2018). "This 'unrelenting' Chester mom's daughters are stars. At 94, she's still helping kids". The Herald. Retrieved February 9, 2025.
  11. ^ a b c d "Vivian Ayers Allen". South Carolina African American History Calendar. Retrieved February 9, 2025.
  12. ^ a b c d "Vivian Ayers-Allen Inducted into Cambridge Who's Who". 24-7 Press Release Newswire. Retrieved February 9, 2025.
  13. ^ "Vivian Ayers Allen". The Gantt Center. Retrieved February 9, 2025.
  14. ^ Turner, Jesse (August 30, 2024). "Centenarian Belle Vivian Ayers Allen: A Hidden Figure Behind Apollo 11". Bennett College. Retrieved February 9, 2025.
  15. ^ a b c d e "Review of Vivian Ayers's "Hawk (and the Making of)" by Patrick T. Reardon". Another Chicago Magazine. June 25, 2024. Retrieved February 10, 2025.
  16. ^ Britannica Book of the Year 2009. Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. March 1, 2009. p. 101. ISBN 978-1-59339-232-1.
  17. ^ a b McCann, Bob (September 27, 2022). Encyclopedia of African American Actresses in Film and Television. McFarland. p. 11. ISBN 978-1-4766-9140-4.
  18. ^ a b Lont, Cynthia M. (1995). Women and Media: Content, Careers, and Criticism. Wadsworth Publishing Company. p. 192. ISBN 978-0-534-24732-4.
  19. ^ Samwel, Emanuela (November 25, 2024). "Debbie Allen: A Comprehensive Biography of the Multifaceted Artist". Mabumbe. Retrieved February 10, 2025.
  20. ^ Texas Poet Sues Dentist Husband for Divorce. Jet. April 22, 1954. p. 20. Retrieved February 9, 2025.
  21. ^ Nixon, Vivian. "Family Matters: Vivian Nixon". Generations United. Retrieved February 9, 2025.
  22. ^ a b "Poet Vivian Ayers Allen, Mother To Debbie Allen And Phylicia Rashad, Just Turned 100". Essence. August 3, 2023. Retrieved February 9, 2025.
  23. ^ Winegarten, Ruthe; Kahn, Sharon (July 22, 2010). Brave Black Women: From Slavery to the Space Shuttle. University of Texas Press. pp. 103–106. ISBN 978-0-292-78555-7.
  24. ^ a b Jackson, Stacy (July 29, 2024). "NASA Dedicates Building To Women Of Apollo 11 Mission, Including Phylicia Rashad And Debbie Allen's Mother". Black Enterprise. Retrieved February 9, 2025.
  25. ^ a b c Taylor, DeAnna. "Debbie Allen Reveals Her Mother's Secret to Living 100 Years". EBONY. Retrieved February 10, 2025.
  26. ^ Niani (August 13, 2024). "Vivian Ayers Allen, Phylicia Rashad And Debbie Allen's Mother, Is A NASA Hidden Figure". WBLS. Retrieved February 10, 2025.
  27. ^ Ayers, Vivian (November 30, 2023). Hawk. Clemson University Press. ISBN 978-1-63804-092-7.
  28. ^ a b Winegarten, Ruthe (July 22, 2010). Black Texas Women: 150 Years of Trial and Triumph. University of Texas Press. pp. 145–6. ISBN 978-0-292-78665-3.
  29. ^ Nielsen, Aldon Lynn (January 13, 1997). Black Chant: Languages of African-American Postmodernism. Cambridge University Press. p. 45. ISBN 978-0-521-55526-5.
  30. ^ Grider, Sylvia Ann; Rodenberger, Lou Halsell (1997). Texas Women Writers: A Tradition of Their Own. Texas A&M University Press. p. 253. ISBN 978-0-89096-765-2.
  31. ^ White, Cameron (February 5, 2014). Community Education for Social Justice. Springer Science & Business Media. p. 96. ISBN 978-94-6209-506-9.
  32. ^ Blue, Carroll Parrott (2003). The Dawn at My Back: A Memoir of a Black Texas Upbringing. University of Texas Press. p. 323. ISBN 978-0-292-70913-3.
  33. ^ Otfinoski, Steven (2010). African Americans in the Performing Arts. Infobase Publishing. p. 191. ISBN 978-1-4381-2855-9.
  34. ^ Hine, Darlene Clark; Brown, Elsa Barkley; Terborg-Penn, Rosalyn (1993). Black Women in America: An Historical Encyclopedia. Carlson Pub. p. 20. ISBN 978-0-926019-61-4.
  35. ^ Hershenson, Roberta (April 1, 1990). "Black Women Confer on Health". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 10, 2025.
  36. ^ Simpson, Moira G. (December 6, 2012). Making Representations: Museums in the Post-Colonial Era. Routledge. p. 92. ISBN 978-1-135-63271-7.
  37. ^ Feeser, Andrea (September 24, 2020). Jimmie Durham, Europe, and the Art of Relations. Routledge. p. 10. ISBN 978-1-000-19046-5.
  38. ^ Bonami, Francesco; Obrist, Hans Ulrich (1999). Dreams. Castelvecchi. p. 33. ISBN 978-88-8210-155-8.
  39. ^ Wilmeth, Don B.; Miller, Tice L. (June 13, 1996). The Cambridge Guide to American Theatre. Cambridge University Press. p. 135. ISBN 978-0-521-56444-1.
  40. ^ Hershenson, Roberta (June 5, 1994). "Council to Honor a Museum Founder". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 10, 2025.
  41. ^ Hershenson, Roberta (November 24, 2002). "Honoring Her Roots". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 10, 2025.
  42. ^ "History". Brainerd Institute Heritage. Retrieved February 10, 2025.
  43. ^ Emelife, Crystal. "The Reawakening of Black Academia in Chester County, South Carolina". National Trust for Historic Preservation. Retrieved February 10, 2025.
  44. ^ "Vivian Ayers' Workshops in Open Fields presents 'Literacy Through the Arts' program". The Lancaster News. June 6, 2022. Retrieved February 10, 2025.
  45. ^ A Night of Giving. Jet. May 28, 2007. p. 32. Retrieved February 9, 2025.
  46. ^ Winthrop University (October 7, 2008). "Medal of Honor Celebrates Contributions of Four Recipients". Winthrop News 2008.
  47. ^ Oswald, Vanessa (December 15, 2019). The Black Arts Movement: Creating a Cultural Identity. Greenhaven Publishing LLC. p. 88. ISBN 978-1-5345-6854-9.
  48. ^ Hutcherson, Lori Lakin (April 8, 2022). "GBN's Daily Drop: Poet and Pulitzer Prize Nominee Vivian Ayers Allen (LISTEN)". Good Black News. Retrieved February 9, 2025.
  49. ^ Gallagher, Caitlin (March 1, 2019). "Solange's 'When I Get Home' Is An Ode To Women's History Month Thanks To Its Iconic Cameos". Bustle. Retrieved February 9, 2025.
  50. ^ Brainerd Institute Heritage (August 4, 2023). Vivian Ayers' "Hawk" Recited on her 100th Birthday by Daughter Phylicia Rashad -Brainerd Chester, SC. Retrieved February 9, 2025 – via YouTube.
  51. ^ Ellise, Aria (July 19, 2024). "Phylicia Rashad & Debbie Allen's Mom Turns 101: "The True Renaissance Woman"". BlackDoctor.org. Retrieved February 9, 2025.
Allikas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vivian_Ayers_Allen
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