Sources:[49][50][51][52]
- Keys to more than two dozen American cities, including New York, Miami, Los Angeles, and New Orleans
- State Historical markers in Knoxville, Tennessee, and Lincoln Heights, Ohio
- Seven NAACP Image Awards:
- Love Poems (1998)
- Blues: For All the Changes (1999)
- Quilting the Black-Eyed Pea (2003)
- Acolytes (2008)
- Hip Hop Speaks to Children (2009)
- 100 Best African American Poems (2011)
- Bicycles (2010)
- National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship (1968)
- Harlem Cultural Council (1969)
- Woman of the Year, Ebony Magazine (1970)
- Woman of the Year, Mademoiselle magazine (1971)
- Woman of the Year, Ladies' Home Journal (1972)
- National Association of Radio and Television Announcers Award for Best Spoken Word Album, for Truth Is on Its Way (1972)
- National Book Award Nomination for Gemini (1973)
- Life Membership & Scroll, The National Council of Negro Women (1973)
- Woman of the Year, Cincinnati YWCA (1983)
- The Ohio Women's Hall of Fame (1985)
- Outstanding Woman of Tennessee (1985)
- Duncanson Artist in Residence, The Taft Museum (1986)
- The Post-Corbett Award (1986)
- The Children's Reading Roundtable of Chicago Award for Vacation Time (1988)
- The Ohioana Library Award for Sacred Cows (1988)
- The Cecil H. and Ida Green Honors Chair, Texas Christian University (1991)
- The Hill Visiting Professor, University of Minnesota (1993)
- Tennessee Writer's Award, The Nashville Banner (1994)
- The Tennessee Governor's Award in the Humanities (1996)
- The Langston Hughes Award for Distinguished Contributions to Arts and Letters (1996)
- Parents' Choice Award for The Sun Is So Quiet (1996)
- Artist-in-Residence. The Philadelphia Clef Club of Jazz and Performing Arts (1996)
- Contributor's Arts Award, The Gwendolyn Brooks Center for Black Literature and Creative Writing (1996)
- Living Legacy Award, Juneteenth Festival of Columbus, Ohio (1998)
- Distinguished Visiting Professor, Johnson & Wales University (1998)
- The Appalachian Medallion Award (1998)
- Cincinnati Bi-Centennial Honoree (1998)
- The Tennessee Governor's Award in the Arts (1998)
- National Literary Hall of Fame for Writers of African Descent, the Gwendolyn Brooks Center of Chicago State University (1998)
- Inducted into The Literary Hall of Fame for Writers of African Descent (1999)
- United States Senate Certificate of Commendation (2000)
- 2000 Council of Ideas, The Gihon Foundation (2000)
- Virginia Governor's Award for the Arts (2000)
- The Rosa Parks Women of Courage Award, first recipient (2001 and again in 2002)
- The SHero Award for Lifetime Achievement (2002)
- American Library Association's Black Caucus Award for Non-fiction (2003)
- Inducted into Phi Beta Kappa, Delta of Tennessee chapter, Fisk University (2003)
- Named a History Maker (2003)
- The East Tennessee Writers Hall of Fame Award (2004)
- Finalist, Best Spoken Word Grammy (2004)
- Named one of Oprah Winfrey's 25 Living Legends (2005)[53]
- Poet-In-Residence, Walt Whitman Birthplace Association Award (2005)
- Child Magazine Best Children's Book of the Year (2005)
- John Henry "Pop" Lloyd Humanitarian Award (2005)
- ALC Lifetime Achievement Award (2005)
- Delta Sigma Theta sorority (Honorary Member) (2006)
- Caldecott Honor Book Award (2006)
- Carl Sandburg Literary Award (2007)
- The National Council of Negro Women Appreciation Award (2007)
- The Legacy Award, National Alumni Council United Negro College Fund (2007)
- Legends and Legacies Award (2007)
- Women of Power Legacy Award (2008)
- National Parenting Publications Gold Award (2008)
- Sankofa Freedom Award (2008)
- American Book Award honoring outstanding literary achievement from the diverse spectrum of the American literary community (2008)
- Literary Excellence Award (2008)
- Excellence in Leadership Award from Dominion Power (2008)
- Ann Fralin Award (2009)
- Carter G. Woodson Book Award (2009)
- Moonbeam Children's Book Award (2009)
- Martin Luther King Jr. Award for Dedication and Commitment to Service (2009)
- Art Sanctuary's Lifetime Achievement Award (2010)
- Presidential Medal of Honor, Dillard University (2010)
- Affrilachian Award (2011)
- Library of Virginia's Literary Lifetime Achievement Award (2016)
- Maya Angelou Lifetime Achievement Award (2017)[54]
