Lance Jeffers
Lance Jeffers was an influential African American poet and educator, born on November 28, 1919, in Fremont, Nebraska. Raised by his grandfather, a physician, he demonstrated musical talent early on, studying classical piano from age five. After moving to San Francisco and graduating high school in 1938, Jeffers served in the Army during World War II, later marrying Camille Jones and starting a family. He pursued higher education at Columbia University, earning degrees in English and English education, which paved the way for his teaching career that began in 1951.
Throughout his literary journey, Jeffers published widely, with his first short story appearing in *The Best American Short Stories* in 1948. His poetry, reflecting the African American experience, was featured in notable anthologies and culminated in his first collection, *My Blackness Is the Beauty of This Land*, released in 1970. He remarried in 1958, dedicating much of his work to his second wife, Trellie James. Jeffers's contributions to literature were recognized with accolades like the Franklin T. Baker Citation from Columbia University. He passed away on July 19, 1985, leaving behind a legacy as a significant voice in African American poetry.
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Lance Jeffers
Writer
- Born: November 28, 1919
- Birthplace: Fremont, Nebraska
- Died: July 19, 1985
Biography
Lance Jeffers was born on November 28, 1919, in Freemont Nebraska. The son of Henry Nelson and Dorothy May Flippin, he was raised by his mother’s father, George Albert Flippin, a physician, in Stromsbury, Nebraska, from 1920 until 1929. Jeffers studied classical piano from the age of five. In 1929, he moved to San Francisco, living with his mother and stepfather, Forrest Jeffers, a maintenance worker in an apartment building. Graduating from high school in 1938, he attended three different colleges before joining the army in 1942. After serving in Europe, he was discharged in January 1946. That same year, he married Camille Jones, with whom he had a son.
By 1951, when he began his teaching career, Jeffers had earned his B.A. in English and his M. A. in English education from Columbia University. He changed academic affiliations frequently before settling down in 1974 at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, where he became an English professor. In 1958, after divorcing his first wife, he married Trellie James, to whom he dedicated many poems; the couple had three daughters.
Jeffers’s literary career began in 1948, when his story, “The Dawn Swings In,” was published in The Best American Short Stories. His poems were published in numerous anthologies, including Burning Spear in 1963, Nine Black Poets in 1968, and New Black Voices in 1971. His first collection of poetry, My Blackness Is the Beauty of This Land, was published in 1970. It was followed by three additional collections of poetry and one novel. He died on July 19, 1985
Jeffers was awarded the Franklin T. Baker Citation from Columbia University. A unique voice within African American poetry, Jeffers is recognized for his representation of the African American experience.