And the rounded darkness of … With your bitter, twisted lies, Does it come as a surprise Read this book. thin or thick. Their books, essay collections and poems have reached into all corners of our lives; thoughts on feminism and modern women's lives, thoughts on Black culture, thoughts on living a creative life, thoughts on love, thoughts on faith, thoughts on politics. The brutality was grave enough; the spread of the image transmitted trauma and reinforced the vulnerability of black women and, indeed, the race.”, “When Black women stand up— as they did during the Montgomery Bus Boycott—as they did during the Black liberation era, earth-shaking changes occur.”. Reblogged this on collective failure and commented: But stories can also repair that broken dignity.” ― Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, 10. But sometimes your light attracts moths and your warmth attracts parasites. I’m a newsletter editor for a writing club in California; some of these quotes will show up in the next issue, thanks to you. ... thoughts on feminism and modern women's lives, thoughts on Black culture, thoughts on living a … She has published two collections: salt. ( Log Out /  *This post was updated on March 7th, 2018. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. “Discomfort is always a necessary part of enlightenment.” ― Pearl Cleage, 21. Prevail across the editors of the world There comes a time when you can no longer blame a man. Habit is more dependable. and I West Point Military Academy, March, 2013. With each page turned, I saw myself. Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave, When white men beat their men, they cleaned up the book and went home to receive abuse from the victim. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! Thank you expresses extreme gratitude, humility, understanding. Photo credit: Main image/Painting by Estherr Luntadila @4everestherr, Thank you for these all inspiring art and words, These poems give me the courage to be comfortable in my own skin. Now my nostrils know the gas of my deepest self, *Artwork: “Nicola” 2015, Oil on Canvas Candace Fong (CFONGART) www.cfongart.com. That I dance like I’ve got diamonds my black triangle carries the seal of approval of monarchs and of other men. and heard my son scream all the way from Anzio I could feel the spirited home of Missie May and Joe. I rise She has also participated in TEDXNew York. Alice Walker, Mama exhorted her children at every opportunity to ‘jump at the sun.’ We might not land on the sun, but at least we would get off the ground. Maya Angelou, Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. I lived by her. But there remain large countries in your eyes. I Guess By Now I Thought I'd Be Done With Shame. I say that one a lot. "Come here." Don’t you take it awful hard They plowed all day and came home to nestle like plums under the limbs of their men, The legs that straddled a mule's back were the same ones that straddled their men's hips. Not the kind that follows structures carried down from 17th century England to Euro-centric American classrooms. I love you for the breaking sadness in your voice Out of the huts of history’s shame “Shakespeare wrote about love. The listening secrets. You may write me down in history It swallows all and everything that comes near it. Gwendolyn Brooks. People also love these ideas. Praise song for every hand-lettered sign, And the rounded darkness of your breast If anything, you might walk away more whole--a transformed human being who understands that they need self-love, self-care and that they are not alone. She was awarded the Sillerman First Book Prize for her poetry collection, The Kitchen Dweller’s Testimony. 7 things you would have learned if you read ‘The ... 10 Iconic Poems by Maya Angelou Every Black Person Should ... Mme. “Pretty women wonder where my secret lies. Don’t forget to also read these motivational women empowerment quotes to help you succeed in life. And you create and train your flowers still. I love you for your brownness Some of them will make you cry, some of them will definitely make you laugh, but most of them will make you feel strong and capable and ready to create. sitting on the threshold it spares a thought Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. I used to hate that my, thighs touched and that my ass moved. SuzyKnew! Kentake holds a BSc degree in Counselling Psychology, but her passion has always been Afrikan/Black history. my black triangle And what I’ve always thought isn’t that monsters don’t have reflections in a mirror. This captivated me. Don’t be so easily flattered by money, cars, jewelry, and all of that other stuff. Lurks in the lithe abandon of your walk SuzyKnew! It’s that if you want to make a human being into a monster, deny them, at the cultural level, any reflection of themselves. We take special note of how black boys are unfairly kicked out of school while ignoring that our girls are right next to them in the line of expulsion. being a woman is a. Landan Osman poetry has been published in several notable literary magazines. White children said, "Give me that." Any happiness you get you’ve got to make yourself. “O ye daughters of Africa, arise! Here are some of my favorite contemporary Black female poets that I promise you'll fall in love with, just like I did. I read about why the earth goes around the sun, about the solar system slowly collapsing into itself, about black holes and supernovas. 2020 a year to reckon with. forever seizing I rise. The vision is to bring together history, literature, and art under one cyber-umbrella, to make Black/Afrikan historical, literary, and artistic achievements universally accessible. It is honest and relatable. Into a daybreak that’s wondrously clear I love you for your brownness. Normalize your lives, people. The only people they need not take orders from were black children and each other. indestructible Allow yourself to experience REAL love. But still, like dust, I’ll rise. We hid our ladyness to save our lives”, Wealth for all Africans: How Every African Can Live the Life of Their Dreams, Redefining Realness: My Path to Womanhood, Identity, Love So Much More, Motherhood So White: A Memoir of Race, Gender, and Parenting in America, For The Secrets That Gave Themselves Away, A Woman's Place: The Complete Poetry Collection of Margaret Oliver, Wayward Lives, Beautiful Experiments: Intimate Histories of Riotous Black Girls, Troublesome Women, and Queer Radicals, What Truth Sounds Like: Robert F. Kennedy, James Baldwin, and Our Unfinished Conversation About Race in America, The Collected Poems of Lucille Clifton 1965-2010. Stop giving your love, time, and attention to men who clearly don’t deserve it. This edging out is a tradition of oppression, while the ability to rise even in its midst is a signature testament to the dynamic tradition of literary inspired liberation through Black women writers. / Shall we not dread him, / Shall we not fear him / After so lengthy a / Session with shade? is black light and circumstance Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. August 21, 2017 at 7:37 pm. Here are 7 quotes or lines from black poets for #BlackPoetryDay. Slow down. I am just trying—trying to support what I believe in, trying to do some good in this world, trying to make some noise with my writing while also being myself.”, “You guys know about vampires? Her work has appeared in publications such as, The Stockholm Review of Literature and The Rising Phoenix Review and has even participated in a TEDX Talk. “Putting words on paper regularly is part of the necessary discipline of writing.” -Pearl Cleage, 26. There’s this idea that monsters don’t have reflections in a mirror. “The way black women say "girl" can be magical. Perhaps, the problem is not the intensity of your love, but the quality of the people you are loving. who are obsessed, self-honeying and self-crowned Sign up for our newsletter to get the freshest stories in your inbox, every day! And something of the shackled slave You have to let yourself be. Thanks so much. of tiny atoms It was a long running connectedness. “People wish to be poets more than they wish to write poetry, and that’s a mistake. It’s amazing what we can do if we simply refuse to give up.” ― Octavia E. Butler, 31. Inspirational Quotes From Black Women Writers. I loved poetry in high school. Ijeoma Umebinyuo has been hailed one of Sub-Saharan Africa’s greatest contemporary poets. How can any deny themselves the pleasure of my company? My favorite anthology is Daughters of Africa edited by Margaret Busby. Oprah Winfrey, And if sun comes / How shall we greet him?