In Oklahoma history, a musician born in Oklahoma City in 1914 grew up to write one of the most influential novels in American history. During Black History Month, we remember the life of Ralph Ellison and the first great novel by an African-American writer, Invisible Man, published in 1952.
Ralph Ellison: An Oklahoma Treasure
Oklahoma has a rich history of people who have made a lasting mark on their profession and the world. Ralph Ellison is one such figure. Born in 1914, in Oklahoma City, Ralph Ellison walked the halls of Frederick Douglass School and learned from early hardship that life was difficult but beautiful. Pulling from his roots and life experiences, Ellison wrote Invisible Man, one of the most influential novels in American history.
Ralph Ellison was named after his father’s literary hero, Ralph Waldo Emerson. Ellison’s father had wanted his son to be a poet, just like his namesake. Unfortunately, when Ellison was three, his father was killed in a terrible accident. After the tragedy, Ellison’s mother was forced to work multiple jobs to support her family. But even in this, Ellison could see good, as his mother brought him books to read given to her by residents in the houses she cleaned. Ralph Ellison grew up poor but was able to attend school in Oklahoma City, learned to play the trumpet, and found good mentors.
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