Published: February 04, 2011

U.S. Census Bureau Black History Month Feature for February 5

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WASHINGTON, Feb. 5, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Following is the daily Black History Month feature from the U.S. Census Bureau:

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SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 5: DEREK WALCOTT

Profile America for the fifth day of Black History Month. Derek Walcott is a giant of American literature. Born in Saint Lucia in the West Indies in 1930, he began writing poetry and plays at the age of 18. His works have gathered a gallery of awards and recognition, including a fellowship by the Rockefeller Foundation to study American theater, the Obie Award, and a MacArthur Foundation "genius" award. His body of writing also won the most prestigious award of his colleagues around the world -- the 1992 Nobel prize in literature. His works include the poetry collection "Tiepolo's Hound," and the play "Dream on Monkey Mountain." In the U.S., there are 186,000 writers and authors, just over 4 percent of them African-American. This special edition of Profile America is a public service of the U.S. Census Bureau.

Sources: www.poets.org

Statistical Abstract of the United States 2010, t. 603

Profile America is produced by the Public Information Office of the U.S. Census Bureau. These daily features are available as produced segments, ready to air, on a monthly CD or on the Internet at http://www.census.gov (look for "Multimedia Gallery" by the "Newsroom" button). For further information, contact Rick Reed: 301-763-2812; fax: 301-763-3762; or e-mail: rreed-at-census.gov.

SOURCE U.S. Census Bureau