Photo courtesy of Mark Thompson/DRKRM
Essex Hemphill was a gay rights activist and the author of three books of poems: Earth Life (1985), Conditions (1986), and Ceremonies (1992). He edited the landmark anthology Brother to Brother: New Writings by Black Gay Men (1991).
Raised in Southeast DC, Hemphill was the recipient of a Lambda Literary Award, a National Library Award for Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Literature, and a visiting scholarship at the Getty Center for the History of Art and the Humanities. He formed a performance art group with Larry Duckett and Wayson Jones in the 1980s. He also appeared in several films, including Tongues Untied, Black Is…Black Ain’t, and Looking for Langston.
The Homes
3351 Mt. Pleasant St. NW, Apt. #9, Washington, DC
Essex Hemphill
3351 Mt. Pleasant St. NW
Located in Columbia Heights/Mount Pleasant neighborhood, Northwest - East of Rock Creek