LAMAMIMET

David Henderson was born on September 19, 1942, in Harlem, New York City. He became an active participant in the Black Arts Movement of the 1960s, co‑founding the literary collective and magazine Umbra in 1962 and helping shape the era’s Black nationalist and artistic discourse.

Over a career spanning more than four decades, Henderson published four volumes of poetry and contributed to numerous literary journals and anthologies. He taught at institutions such as City College of New York, the University of California at Berkeley, San Diego, Long Island University, and the New School, influencing generations of writers and students.

Henderson gained particular fame for his biography of rock guitarist Jimi Hendrix, first published in 1978 as "Jimi Hendrix: Voodoo Child of the Aquarian Age" and later expanded in 2009 as "'Scuse Me While I Kiss the Sky: The Life of Jimi Hendrix," which was praised for its depth of research and insight.

He died on May 14, 2026, at the age of 83, leaving a legacy as a pioneering poet, educator, and chronicler of American cultural history.