In 1943, she moved to Harlem to live with her father (the school teacher), her sister, and her stepmother, who was her father's third wife. When in Harlem, she learned to manage her stutter and excelled in school, finding her poetic voice which later emerged during her studies at Hunter College. Sanchez focused on the sound of her poetry, admitting to always reading her poetry aloud, and received praise for her use of the full range of African and African-American vocal resources. She is known for her sonic range and dynamic public readings. She now terms herself as an "ordained stutterer.” Sanchez earned a BA in political science in 1955 from Hunter College.