Birth of Dorothy West

Dorothy West was born on June 2, 1907, in Boston, Massachusetts. Her birth marked the beginning of a life that would significantly influence American literature and culture. Growing up as the daughter of Isaac Christopher West, a former slave turned successful businessman, West witnessed firsthand the complex intersections of race, wealth, and class that would later inform her literary endeavors. Her upbringing in a prominent and affluent African-American family in Boston provided her with experiences and insights distinct from many of her contemporaries, shaping her unique literary voice and perspective. Throughout her life, West would draw on these early experiences, crafting narratives that explored the intricacies of Black middle and upper-class life in America, and her birth is a significant beginning to the story of a formidable literary figure.