On This Day in 1947: Octavia E. Butler Was Born

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Nikolas Coukouma, CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
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(AURN News) — On June 22, 1947, award-winning science fiction writer Octavia E. Butler was born in Pasadena, California.

Widely considered one of the most influential Black science fiction writers, Butler broke barriers in a genre that often excluded Black women’s voices.

Her groundbreaking novels include “Kindred,” “Parable of the Sower,” “Parable of the Talents,” “Dawn,” “Wild Seed,” “Patternmaster” and “Fledgling.”

Through stories centered on Black heroines, power, survival, race, gender and sexuality, Butler expanded what science fiction could imagine and whom it could represent.

In 1995, she became the first science fiction writer to receive a MacArthur Fellowship, often called a “genius grant,” from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.

Her work continues to influence writers, scholars and readers around the world. Butler died in 2006 at age 58.

Click play to listen to the AURN News report from Clay Cane. Follow @claycane & @aurnonline for more.

Clay Cane is an award-winning journalist, writer, radio host, and political commentator. A graduate of Rutgers University with a degree in African-American Studies, his work on race, culture, and politics have appeared in national publications, including the Washington Post, CNN, and The Grio. Clay is a regular political commentator on MSNBC. Twitter: @claycane

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