If We Must Die - Wikipedia If We Must Die `` If We Must Die '' is a 1919 poem by Claude McKay published in the July issue of The Liberator. McKay wrote the poem as a response to mob attacks by white Americans upon African - American communities during Red Summer. The poem was later reprinted in The Messenger of the same year. The poem would also be read in Congress by Republican Senator from Massachusetts Henry Cabot Lodge. References Jump up ^ McWhirter, Cameron ( 2011 ). Red Summer : The Summer of 1919 and the Awakening of Black America. Henry Holt and Company. pp. 85 -- 86. ISBN 9781429972932. This poetry - related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=If_We_Must_Die&oldid=787776001 '' Categories : Poetry stubs Harlem Renaissance Talk About Wikipedia Add links This page was last edited on 27 June 2017, at 13 : 27. About Wikipedia

Question: who wrote the poem if we must die
Answer: Claude McKay