(March 1, 1913-April 16, 1994)
Wrote ‘Invisible Man (1952),' ‘Shadow and Act (1964),' ‘Going to the Territory (1986),' ‘Flying Home and Other Stories (1996),' ‘Juneteenth (1999)' and ‘Trading Twelves (2000)'
Received National Book Award (1953), American Medal of Freedom (1969), Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et Lettres (1970) and National Medal of Arts (1985)

‘Invisible Man' is frequently confused with H.G. Wells' ‘The Invisible Man.'
He left Tuskegee Institute (Macon County, Alabama) despite having won a scholarship.
A gifted trumpeter, he let himself be persuaded by author Richard Wright to abandon music.
His second novel ‘Juneteenth' begun in 1960 was a 2,000 page work-in-progress when he died 34 years later.

‘Invisible Man' is a key twentieth century novel about race relations and identity.
His mother campaigned for Eugene V. Debs and fought segregation.
He was named after Ralph Waldo Emerson.
He hopped freight trains to reach Tuskegee Institute as he couldn't afford a ticket.
He was befriended and encouraged by Langston Hughes.
He fought racial inequality while maintaining that ‘literature is colorblind.'

Credit: Georgina

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