Born in Washington, D.C., Sterling Brown attended Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts, and Harvard University. He grew up in a home with an extensive library, which encouraged his love of literature. He began his teaching career at Virginia Seminary College in 1923. He joined the Howard University staff in 1929 and stayed there until his retirement. The publication of his book, Southern Road, in 1932 coincided with the emergence of the Harlem Renaissance. Brown served as the editor on Negro affairs for the Federal Writers Program from 1936 to 1939. He played an important role in the development and assessment of African-American literature through his work as a poet, literary critic, and editor.

Sources:
Clift-Pellow, Arlene. Notable Black Men. Ed. Jessie Carney Smith. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale, 1999.

 In Black and White . Ed. Mary Mace Spradling. Vol.1. 3 rd ed. Gale Research: Detroit, 1980. p.131.

Stepto, Robert . “Brown, Sterling Allen.” American National Biography. February 2000. http://www.anb.org/articles/16/16-00200.html. 1 April, 2005.