Born in Toledo, Ohio, Mari Evans attended the University of Toledo. She went on to teach at several universities, including Indiana University-Purdue, Spelmen College, Cornell University and Indiana University (Bloomington).

Her poetry celebrated her African American heritage. She received several prestigious fellowships and, in addition to publishing several volumes of poetry, Evans was also a playwright and author of children’s books.

–Christie Finn
Source: the entry for Mari Evans on the Poets.org website