Active African American Poets over 65

Back in late February, Haki Madhubuti celebrated his 70th birthday. He joined a group of fellow poets already in their 70s who remain active cultural, creative forces. Madhubuti and Nikki Giovanni (b. 1943) were always two of the younger poets associated with the black arts era. Below is a list of African American poets over the age of 65:

• Naomi Long Madgett (b. 1923) 
• Gloria Oden (b. 1923)
• Mari Evans (b. 1923)
• Dolores Kendrick (1927)
• Maya Angelou (b. 1928)
• Derek Walcott (b. 1930)
• Sonia Sanchez (b. 1934)
• Amiri Baraka (b.1934)
• Johari Amini (b. 1935)
• Colleen J. McElroy (b. 1935)
• Jayne Cortez (b. 1936)
• Eugene B. Redmond (b. 1937)
• Ishmael Reed (b. 1938)
• Michael S. Harper (b. 1938) 
• Askia Muhammad Touré (b. 1938)
• Quincy Troupe (b. 1939)
• Al Young (b. 1939)
• Sterling Plumpp (b. 1940)
• Haki Madhubuti (b. 1942)
• William J. Harris (b. 1942)
• Nikki Giovanni (b. 1943)
• Alice Walker (b. 1944)
• Marilyn Nelson (b. 1946)
• Wanda Coleman (b. 1946)
• Nathaniel Mackey (b. 1947)
• Kalamu ya Salaam (b. 1947)

The active presence of so many elder poets creates a long memory in American and African American cultural life.  We are perhaps at a rare moment with so many prominent black poets over the age of 65.        

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Updates: Thanks to a knowledgeable, sharing commenter (see below), I've added Oden & Kendrick to the list. Hopefully, I'll add more. If you have additions, let me know. 

 Related:
• A Notebook on the Black Arts Era 
• A Notebook on Birth Years & Age Matters