M. Carl Holman (June 27, 1919,

Minter City, Mississippi Minter City is an unincorporated community in Leflore County and Tallahatchie County, Mississippi. It is part of the Greenwood, Mississippi micropolitan area, and is within the Mississippi Delta. Mississippi Highway 8 intersects U.S. Route 49E ...

, United States — August 9, 1988,

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

) was an American author, poet, playwright, and civil rights advocate. One of his noted works is ''The Baptizin''‘ (1971). In 1968, ''

Ebony Ebony is a dense black/brown hardwood, coming from several species in the genus '' Diospyros'', which also contains the persimmons. Unlike most woods, ebony is dense enough to sink in water. It is finely textured and has a mirror finish when ...

'' listed him as one of the 100 most influential Black Americans. Holman grew up in

St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, whic ...

. He was graduated

magna cum laude Latin honors are a system of Latin phrases used in some colleges and universities to indicate the level of distinction with which an academic degree has been earned. The system is primarily used in the United States. It is also used in some So ...

from Lincoln University in 1942 and earned a master's degree from the

University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, U of C, or UChi) is a private university, private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Its main campus is located in Chicago's Hyde Park, Chicago, Hyde Park neighborhood. The University of Chic ...

. He then earned another master's degree from

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Sta ...

, where he attended on a creative writing scholarship. He taught as an English professor at

Clark College Clark College is a public community college in Vancouver, Washington. With 11,500 students, Clark College is the largest institution of higher education in southwest Washington. Founded in 1933 as a private two-year junior college, Clark Colleg ...

for 14 years and also taught at

Hampton University Hampton University is a private, historically black, research university in Hampton, Virginia. Founded in 1868 as Hampton Agricultural and Industrial School, it was established by Black and White leaders of the American Missionary Association a ...

and Lincoln University. At one time, he edited the ''Atlanta Inquirer'', a weekly black journal at Clark College that reported on

civil rights Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from infringement by governments, social organizations, and private individuals. They ensure one's entitlement to participate in the civil and political life ...

issues in the

South South is one of the cardinal directions or compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both east and west. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Proto-Germanic ''*sunþa ...

. In 1962, he moved to Washington, D.C., to work at the

Civil Rights Commission The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights (CCR) is a bipartisan, independent commission of the United States federal government, created by the Civil Rights Act of 1957 during the Eisenhower administration, that is charged with the responsibility for ...

, becoming its deputy director in 1966. He served on the Washington, D.C. Board of Higher Education, which governed the university that then was named,

Federal City College The University of the District of Columbia (UDC) is a public university, public historically black university, historically black land-grant university in Washington, D.C. It was established in 1851 and is the only public university in the city. ...

. He also served as a housing consultant to the mayor of Washington, D.C. From 1971 to 1988, he served as director of the

National Urban Coalition National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland ...

, an organization formed after the riots of 1967, where he advocated for programs in housing, education, employment, and economic development. He became its president in 1971. At the time, the organization maintained chapters in 48 cities.

Personal

He was married to Mariella Ukina Ama Holman after they met at college. They had three children, a daughter,

Kinshasha Holman Conwill Kinshasha Holman Conwill (born April 11, 1951) is a US-American museum director, arts and management consultant, author, and serves as a board member for numerous organizations within the US-American cultural sector. Early life and education Kins ...

, and two sons,

Kwame Holman Kwame Holman is an American producer and correspondent associated with the ''PBS NewsHour'', as a producer and reporter for WTOC in Georgia, and, who also has held positions with several national organizations, including the American Civil Liberties ...

and Kwasi Holman.
Library of Congress Remembering Our Father: The Story of M. Carl Holman
', control number 2021688186, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C., 2009-02-10, https://hdl.loc.gov/loc.gdc/gdcwebcasts.090210lib1200

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Holman, M. Carl 1919 births 1988 deaths Burials at Rock Creek Cemetery 20th-century American poets 20th-century American dramatists and playwrights 20th-century African-American writers African-American poets People from Minter City, Mississippi Writers from Mississippi Writers from St. Louis Writers from Washington, D.C. Lincoln University (Missouri) alumni University of Chicago alumni Yale School of Drama alumni Clark Atlanta University faculty Hampton University faculty Lincoln University (Missouri) faculty