Davis pledged Phi Beta Sigma fraternity in 1925. He began to write poems as the result of a class assignment, and was encouraged by an English literature instructor to continue his poetry writing. Kansas was segregated by custom, if not by law. When Davis entered Kansas State, twenty-five other African-American students were enrolled. From 1924 to 1927, and again in 1929, he attended Kansas State Agricultural College, now Kansas State University. In 1923, at age 17, he attended Friends University. he graduated from Arkansas City High School (Kansas). His parents divorced, and Davis grew up living with his mother and stepfather, and with his maternal grandparents. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) tracked his activities as they had investigated union activists since the early 20th century.ĭavis was born in Arkansas City, Kansas, in 1905. He became involved in local labor issues. In the late 1940s, Davis moved to Honolulu, Hawaii, where he ran a small business. He also played a role in the South Side Writers Group in Chicago, and is considered among the writers of the Black Chicago Renaissance. His poetry was sponsored by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) under President Franklin D. During this time, he was outspoken about political and social issues, while also covering topics that ranged from sports to music. He moved to Atlanta, where he became the editor of the paper he turned into the Atlanta Daily World. Race relations, music, literature, American cultureįrank Marshall Davis (Decem– July 26, 1987) was an American journalist, poet, political and labor movement activist, and businessman.ĭavis began his career writing for African American newspapers in Chicago.