337:, the son of Henry Early and Florence Fernandez Oglesby. His father, a baker, died when Early was nine months old, leaving his mother, a preschool teacher, to raise him and his two sisters on her own. Living in a poor area of the city, Early grew up befriending members of the Fifth and the South Street gangs, though he never became a member himself. Instead he focused on scholarly pursuits, graduating
351:
and later credited the poet and playwright with influencing his own work. Early developed much of his writing style through involvement with the university newspaper. Ironically, his first major piece was a journalistic foray into the gang-related murder of a cousin.
355:
After earning his B.A. degree, Early remained in
Philadelphia, where he became employed by the city government. He also spent six months monitoring gang activities through the Crisis Intervention Network, before resuming his course work at
785:
766:
786:
http://www.laduenews.com/society/persons-of-interest/persons-of-interest-gerald-early-the-professor-from-south-philly/article_3cf1d44b-93ea-5017-a110-7dc516fdb184.html
360:, where he eventually earned a doctorate in English literature in 1982. Early landed his first teaching job as an assistant professor of black studies at St. Louis's
235:
439:
rededicated Early Street, initially named for the
Confederate general, in Gerald Early's honor in an effort to celebrate the historic diversity of the village.
869:
372:
On August 27, 1977, Early married Ida Haynes, a college administrator. They have two children, Linnet
Kristen Haynes Early and Rosalind Lenora Haynes Early.
854:
814:
670:
638:
364:
in 1982. He steadily rose to a full professorship in both the
English and the renamed African and Afro-American studies departments by 1990.
703:
849:
819:
763:
616:
859:
844:
200:
105:
505:
403:
729:
839:
834:
824:
322:
417:
On
September 5, 2007, Early was honored by Washington University with the unveiling of a portrait painted by
199:, American culture studies, and Director, Center for Joint Projects in the Humanities and Social Sciences at
829:
392:
177:
344:
63:
51:
775:
680:
648:
276:
196:
119:
864:
707:
429:
223:
436:
361:
252:
241:
809:
263:
80:
8:
460:
The
Culture of Bruising: Essays on Prizefighting, Literature, and Modern American Culture
389:
The
Culture of Bruising: Essays on Prizefighting, Literature, and Modern American Culture
268:
247:
204:
115:
780:
357:
229:
72:
495:
219:
188:
67:
347:
in 1974. During Early's undergraduate years, he was introduced to the writings of
770:
764:
Gerald Early. What Is
African-American Literature? America. gov. 05 February 2009
192:
519:
Lure and
Loathing: Essays on Race, Identity and the Ambivalence of Assimilation
381:
315:
76:
803:
758:
590:
479:
399:
299:
280:
161:
131:
525:
Ain't But a Place: An
Anthology of African American Writings About St. Louis
422:
348:
334:
311:
585:
583:
418:
307:
284:
790:
486:
How the War in the Streets Is Won: Poems on the Quest of Love and Faith
272:
127:
580:
339:
257:
215:
184:
91:
567:
Speech and Power: The African-American Essay in Its Cultural Content
291:
208:
162:
Faculty page for Gerald Early at Washington University in St. Louis
123:
617:"The American Philosophical Society Welcomes New Members for 2024"
502:
Rhapsodies in Black: Music and Words From the Harlem Renaissance
412:
Rhapsodies in Black: Music and Words From The Harlem Renaissance
794:
469:
303:
180:
135:
95:
561:
My Soul's High Song: The Collected Writings of Countee Cullen
287:
173:
455:
Life with Daughters:Watching the Miss America Pageant (1990)
421:
that hangs in the Journals Reading Room of the university's
295:
675:
643:
236:
Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson
476:
One Nation Under a Groove: Motown & American Culture
730:"Rules Meeting of the Board of Trustees Held Remotely"
261:. His essays have appeared in numerous editions of
701:
595:Department of African and African-American Studies
597:. Washington University in St. Louis. May 4, 2017
801:
619:. American Philosophical Society. May 20, 2024
870:Members of the American Philosophical Society
435:On February 19, 2022, the Chicago suburb of
449:Tuxedo Junction: Essays on American Culture
328:
16:American essayist and professor (born 1952)
855:Washington University in St. Louis faculty
267:series. He writes on topics as diverse as
815:21st-century African-American academics
706:. stlouiswalkoffame.org. Archived from
106:Washington University in St. Louis
802:
639:"Answers.com Profile of Gerald Early"
428:In 2013, Early was inducted into the
333:Early was born on April 21, 1952, in
172:(born April 21, 1952) is an American
492:Yes I Can! The Sammy Davis Jr. Story
408:Yes I Can! The Sammy Davis Jr. Story
398:He has been nominated twice for the
375:
466:Daughters: On Family and Fatherhood
13:
759:Washington University Faculty Page
704:"St. Louis Walk of Fame Inductees"
393:National Book Critics Circle Award
214:He also served as a consultant on
183:. He is currently the Merle Kling
14:
881:
850:University of Pennsylvania alumni
781:Profile at The Whiting Foundation
752:
506:Grammy Award for Best Album Notes
488:(Time Being Books, 1995) (poetry)
384:in 1988 for creative nonfiction.
251:. He is a regular commentator on
543:Miles Davis and American Culture
367:
820:21st-century American academics
531:Body Language: Writers on Sport
512:
494:(2001) nominated for a Grammy (
321:In 2024, he was elected to the
722:
695:
663:
631:
609:
323:American Philosophical Society
1:
573:
7:
549:The Sammy Davis, Jr. Reader
10:
886:
555:Black America in the 1960s
345:University of Pennsylvania
64:University of Pennsylvania
52:Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
860:Writers from Philadelphia
845:Cornell University alumni
387:For his essay collection
157:
149:
141:
111:
101:
87:
59:
30:
23:
702:St. Louis Walk of Fame.
504:(2002) (nominated for a
442:
410:, and again in 2002 for
329:Background and education
277:African-American culture
197:African-American studies
145:Ida Early (1977–present)
120:African-American culture
537:The Muhammad Ali Reader
840:Black studies scholars
835:American music critics
825:African-American poets
734:Village of Park Forest
430:St. Louis Walk of Fame
187:of Modern letters, of
769:27 March 2009 at the
362:Washington University
253:National Public Radio
201:Washington University
122:; Non-fiction prose,
406:. Once in 2001, for
264:Best American Essays
830:American male poets
710:on October 31, 2012
269:American literature
116:American literature
671:"Answers.com Ibid"
391:, he won the 1994
358:Cornell University
73:Cornell University
683:on March 10, 2013
651:on March 10, 2013
376:Awards and honors
220:documentary films
167:
166:
877:
746:
745:
743:
741:
736:. March 22, 2021
726:
720:
719:
717:
715:
699:
693:
692:
690:
688:
679:. Archived from
667:
661:
660:
658:
656:
647:. Archived from
635:
629:
628:
626:
624:
613:
607:
606:
604:
602:
587:
496:Best Album Notes
404:Best Album Notes
279:, Afro-American
178:American culture
170:Gerald Lyn Early
48:
44:
42:
35:Gerald Lyn Early
21:
20:
885:
884:
880:
879:
878:
876:
875:
874:
800:
799:
771:Wayback Machine
755:
750:
749:
739:
737:
728:
727:
723:
713:
711:
700:
696:
686:
684:
669:
668:
664:
654:
652:
637:
636:
632:
622:
620:
615:
614:
610:
600:
598:
589:
588:
581:
576:
515:
445:
378:
370:
331:
193:African studies
94:
71:
60:Alma mater
55:
49:
46:
40:
38:
37:
36:
26:
25:Gerald L. Early
17:
12:
11:
5:
883:
873:
872:
867:
862:
857:
852:
847:
842:
837:
832:
827:
822:
817:
812:
798:
797:
788:
783:
778:
773:
761:
754:
753:External links
751:
748:
747:
721:
694:
662:
630:
608:
591:"Gerald Early"
578:
577:
575:
572:
571:
570:
564:
558:
552:
546:
540:
534:
528:
522:
514:
511:
510:
509:
499:
489:
483:
473:
463:
457:
452:
444:
441:
377:
374:
369:
366:
330:
327:
316:Sammy Davis Jr
165:
164:
159:
155:
154:
151:
147:
146:
143:
139:
138:
113:
112:Known for
109:
108:
103:
99:
98:
89:
85:
84:
61:
57:
56:
50:
45:April 21, 1952
34:
32:
28:
27:
24:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
882:
871:
868:
866:
865:Living people
863:
861:
858:
856:
853:
851:
848:
846:
843:
841:
838:
836:
833:
831:
828:
826:
823:
821:
818:
816:
813:
811:
808:
807:
805:
796:
792:
789:
787:
784:
782:
779:
777:
776:DTM interview
774:
772:
768:
765:
762:
760:
757:
756:
740:September 27,
735:
731:
725:
709:
705:
698:
682:
678:
677:
672:
666:
650:
646:
645:
640:
634:
618:
612:
596:
592:
586:
584:
579:
568:
565:
562:
559:
556:
553:
550:
547:
544:
541:
538:
535:
532:
529:
526:
523:
520:
517:
516:
507:
503:
500:
497:
493:
490:
487:
484:
481:
480:music history
477:
474:
471:
467:
464:
461:
458:
456:
453:
450:
447:
446:
440:
438:
433:
431:
426:
424:
420:
415:
413:
409:
405:
401:
396:
394:
390:
385:
383:
382:Whiting Award
373:
368:Personal life
365:
363:
359:
353:
350:
346:
342:
341:
336:
326:
324:
319:
317:
313:
309:
305:
301:
300:prizefighting
297:
293:
289:
286:
282:
281:autobiography
278:
274:
270:
266:
265:
260:
259:
254:
250:
249:
244:
243:
238:
237:
232:
231:
226:
225:
221:
217:
212:
210:
206:
202:
198:
194:
190:
186:
182:
179:
175:
171:
163:
160:
156:
152:
148:
144:
140:
137:
133:
132:Prizefighting
129:
125:
121:
117:
114:
110:
107:
104:
100:
97:
93:
90:
88:Occupation(s)
86:
82:
78:
74:
69:
65:
62:
58:
53:
47:(age 72)
33:
29:
22:
19:
738:. Retrieved
733:
724:
712:. Retrieved
708:the original
697:
685:. Retrieved
681:the original
674:
665:
653:. Retrieved
649:the original
642:
633:
621:. Retrieved
611:
599:. Retrieved
594:
566:
560:
554:
548:
542:
536:
530:
524:
518:
513:Editing work
501:
491:
485:
475:
465:
459:
454:
448:
434:
427:
423:Olin Library
416:
411:
407:
400:Grammy Award
397:
388:
386:
380:Early won a
379:
371:
354:
349:Amiri Baraka
338:
335:Philadelphia
332:
320:
312:Muhammad Ali
262:
256:
248:Muhammad Ali
246:
240:
234:
228:
222:
213:
169:
168:
18:
810:1952 births
791:Appearances
437:Park Forest
419:Jamie Adams
308:Miles Davis
285:non-fiction
804:Categories
687:August 28,
655:August 28,
574:References
273:Korean War
128:Jazz music
41:1952-04-21
714:April 25,
343:from the
340:cum laude
258:Fresh Air
216:Ken Burns
205:St. Louis
185:Professor
92:Professor
767:Archived
623:July 15,
478:(1994) (
468:(1994) (
292:baseball
224:Baseball
209:Missouri
174:essayist
150:Children
124:Baseball
102:Employer
601:May 21,
242:The War
189:English
158:Website
795:C-SPAN
569:(1993)
563:(1991)
557:(2003)
551:(2001)
545:(2001)
539:(1998)
533:(1998)
527:(1998)
521:(1993)
470:memoir
462:(1994)
451:(1989)
304:Motown
271:, the
245:, and
181:critic
142:Spouse
136:Motown
96:Author
54:, U.S.
443:Works
288:prose
742:2022
716:2013
689:2017
657:2017
625:2024
603:2023
402:for
314:and
296:jazz
230:Jazz
176:and
31:Born
793:on
676:PBS
644:PBS
255:'s
203:in
81:PhD
806::
732:.
673:.
641:.
593:.
582:^
432:.
425:.
414:.
395:.
325:.
318:.
310:,
306:,
302:,
298:,
294:,
290:,
283:,
275:,
239:,
233:,
227:,
218:'
211:.
207:,
195:,
191:,
134:,
130:,
126:,
118:;
79:,
77:MA
68:BA
43:)
744:.
718:.
691:.
659:.
627:.
605:.
508:)
498:)
482:)
472:)
153:2
83:)
75:(
70:)
66:(
39:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.