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A Young Poet's Prayer
- As a 13-year-old, Marilyn Nelson prayed for a message to give the world.
- She yearned to be a poet and share something meaningful, a desire reflected in her poem "Thirteen Year Old American Negro Girl."
Hymn Revisions
- After college, Marilyn Nelson revised hymns to remove racism, sexism, and militarism.
- This challenging task involved altering texts like "Onward, Christian Soldiers" while working with experienced theologians.
A Complicated Ancestry
- Marilyn Nelson's family history includes a complex, possibly consensual, relationship between her foremother and a white man, Henry Tyler, during slavery.
- While unverifiable, family stories suggest a love story, supported by a deed showing Tyler giving their foremother a house.