The poetry of Effie T. Battle, Gertrude Arquene Fisher, Bettiola Heloise Fortson, Christina Moody, Maggie Pogue Johnson, and Myra Viola Wilds testifies to the value of black life during the difficult period known as the nadir. Written in relative obscurity and published in the 1920s, these poems are most notable for their optimism, and as reflections of the women's shared desire to undo stereotypes of black inferiority, and to celebrate their middle-class status.