Professionally known as Steve Carter [sic], he was born Horace Edward Carter Jr. on November 7, 1929, in New York City to Horace Sr., an African American longshoreman from Richmond, Virginia, and Carmen, who was from Trinidad.

An American playwright, best known for his plays involving Caribbean immigrants living in the United States, Mr. carter received the Living Legend award at the 2001 National Black Theatre Festival. He was Victory Gardens Theater’s first playwright-in-residence beginning in 1981, and also served as playwright-in-residence at George Mason University.

Winner of numerous awards, his plays include Eden, Nevis Mountain Dew, Mirage, One Last Look, Tea on Inauguration Day, and Pecong, Dame Lorraine, House of Shadows, Shoot Me While I’m Happy, Spiele ’36 Or the Fourth Medal, and Root Causes all premiered at Victory Gardens.

He was a Dramatists Guild for 42 years, joining on Jun 16, 1978.

He died September 15, 2020, in Houston, TX.