This poetry collection is the first to be dedicated to poems by women who received a cash prize or honorable mention in a groundbreaking series of Harlem Renaissance literary contests. These contests highlighted the most celebrated poets of the era, and NEARLY HALF WERE WOMEN. Women poets were respected, celebrated, and vital members of the Harlem Renaissance literary community. Their individual strength and creativity are evident in the number and quality of poems acknowledged in national literary contests. This volume offers a deeper understanding of Harlem Renaissance poetry by showcasing women’s voices, which were recognized in their time but largely overlooked in ours. For three consecutive years, from 1925 until 1927, The Crisis and Opportunity , two national African American periodicals, conducted annual literary contests. (See “The Harlem Renaissance Literary Contests” in the Preface.) The main categories in the contests included Short Stories, Essays, Plays, and Poems. Of the 69 cumulative winners in the Poetry category, 27 (or 40%) were authored by women. This volume also includes a list of the prize-winning poems and poets, women and men, recognized in The Crisis and Opportunity literary contests, 1925-1927. Poems by Alice Dunbar-Nelson, Georgia Douglas Johnson, Helene Johnson, Gwendolyn Bennett, Mae V. Cowdery, Effie Lee Newsome, Blanche Taylor Dickinson, Esther Popel, Carrie W. Clifford, Clarissa Scott Delaney, Lucy Ariel Williams, Ethel M. Caution, Marguerite A. Lowe, Dora Lawrence Houston, Mary A. Newman