Ralph Ellison

Ralph Waldo Ellison (March 1, 1913–April 16, 1994) was an African-American writer. He was born in Oklahoma and studied at the Tuskegee Institute.

Ellison is most famous for writing Invisible Man, a novel about racism and African American identity. The narrator of the book calls himself an invisible man because people refuse to see him for who he really is. Invisible Man won a National Book Award and is still read today by many students and scholars.

Besides Invisible Man, Ellison wrote many essays. He was very interested in music, especially jazz. He started a second novel, called Juneteenth, but never finished it.

Ralph Ellison Media

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  Ralph Ellison monument in front of 730 Riverside Drive, New York City. The birthyear is the incorrect year Ellison would usually offer

Other websites

• Ralph Ellison at BlackPast.org
• Ralph Ellison at the National Book Foundation Website
• The Ralph Ellison Project at Jerry Jazz Musician