Charlotte native, born in 1960, Rickey K. Hood is a poet, and essayist. At present, he works as a Correctional Officer for the NC State Prison System. His first volume of poetry entitled In a Little Corner of a Black Man's Mind Stand I..., won recognition from the North Carolina Association of Educator's Minority Arts Contest, 1997. A poem in that collection, "Autumn's Leaves," won second place in Community Pride Magazine's poetry and prose contest, Feb. 1996. Mr. Hood's second collection, Tempest, a collection of poems: from an enlightened Nubian soul received outstanding reviews from Independence Boulevard, October 1999 issue. His latest is A Heart’s Song Sung to a Friend: Songs of bitter tears.

He is a nationally and internationally published poet as well as an award-winning journalist for the Black Reign Newspaper published in New York City. Rickey has been included in the Marquis: Who's Who in America, 2001 edition and Who’s Who in America Special 2002 edition. He has received his Associates in rts Degree from Central Piedmont Community College and is now working on his Bachelors in Arts Degree in Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.