Milwaukee Community Journal

You are here: Home / Archives for poetry

poetry

Assata Shakur Remembered: A Voice of Struggle, a Legacy of Love

By Leave a Comment

Black Liberation Army Member Assata Shakur, also known as Joanne Chesimard (IMBD)

By Stacy M. Brown
Black Press USA Senior National Correspondent

The passing of Assata Shakur has left a deep void in those who saw her as more than a revolutionary. She was a mother, poet, and symbol of liberation whose life embodied struggle and sacrifice. On Black Press USA’s Let It Be Known morning news show, journalist and commentator Thandisizwe Chimurenga spoke about Shakur’s death and her legacy. “My heart literally skipped a beat,” Chimurenga said. “I have known Assata’s daughter and husband for over 30 years. I immediately called to see if it was true. I was so saddened when he said that it was true.”

Born JoAnne Byron and once known as JoAnne Chesimard, Shakur became a leading member of the Black Panther Party and the Black Liberation Army. She was targeted by the FBI’s COINTELPRO program, convicted under disputed circumstances in 1977, and sentenced to life in prison. In 1979, she escaped and was granted asylum in Cuba, where she remained until her death. “I purposefully refrained from going into journalism mode,” Chimurenga said. “The only question I asked was had she been ill. He said, Yes, she had been ill. My heart was broken for them because losing a parent, losing your mother, you are never prepared for that. And I was heartbroken for me, being, as Assata says, an African woman in America, that she was no longer physically here with us.”

For Chimurenga, Shakur’s exile carried both sorrow and triumph. “I liked knowing that she was physically walking around free in Cuba, away from the clutches of the U.S. government,” Chimurenga said. “I was absolutely saddened that I had never taken myself down to Cuba and tried to find her and interview her as a journalist. But at the same time, I was rejoicing in the fact that for close to 50 years, she remained free of the United States criminal injustice system.” Her words shaped generations of activists. “It is our duty to fight for our freedom,” Shakur famously stated. “We must love each other and support each other. We have nothing to lose but our chains.” That declaration became a chant during protests in Ferguson and in the Black Lives Matter movement.

“She was our warrior queen mother, our sister comrade, our mama,” Chimurenga said. “She fought for us. She sacrificed for us. And her autobiography, infused with poetry, showed us the beauty of a woman the state called a terrorist. She was a beautiful soul who often said we must be weapons of mass construction, creating more beauty in the world because the people running it are destroying it.” Reactions to her passing showed the divide in the nation. “America is a white supremacist nation,” Chimurenga said. “It was not founded for us. We were brought here to enrich other people. If we did not believe it before, everything Trump is doing right now is in perfect lockstep with white supremacist principles. And that is how he was able to be reelected twice.” Chimurenga said Shakur’s memory will always remain tied to her devotion to her people. “Love. Love of Black people. Sacrifice, commitment, and beauty,” she remarked. “That is who she was.”

Nikki Giovanni, Iconic Poet and Voice of the Black Arts Movement, Dies at 81

By Leave a Comment

By Stacy M. Brown

NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

@StacyBrownMedia

Nikki Giovanni, the groundbreaking poet, author, and professor whose work embodied the spirit of the Black Arts Movement and beyond, died on Monday in Blacksburg, Virginia. She was 81. Her wife, Virginia C. Fowler, confirmed the cause was complications from lung cancer.

Born Yolande Cornelia Giovanni Jr. on June 7, 1943, in Knoxville, Tennessee, Giovanni spent her formative years in Cincinnati, Ohio, but returned to Knoxville every summer with her sister to visit their grandparents. These visits helped shape her sense of identity and belonging, themes that would become central to her work.

She graduated with honors in history from Fisk University, a historically Black college in Nashville and her grandfather’s alma mater. While at Fisk, Giovanni’s defiant spirit and intellect were evident. Expelled briefly due to issues with authority, she returned after a period of reflection and was readmitted with the help of a supportive Dean of Women. This early experience of rebellion and reconciliation laid the groundwork for her unapologetic approach to life and art.

A Voice of Rebellion and Resilience

Giovanni rose to prominence during the 1960s as a fierce voice in the Black Arts Movement, alongside literary giants such as Amiri Baraka, Audre Lorde, Ntozake Shange, and Sonia Sanchez. Her early works, including “Black Feeling, Black Talk” (1968) and “Black Judgement” (1968), were steadfast in their militancy and pride. Her poetry grappled with the injustices faced by Black Americans, including the brutal murder of Emmett Till and the bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, which killed four Black girls.

At a time when mainstream publishers showed little interest in the work of a young Black woman writing what they labeled “militant” poetry, Giovanni took matters into her own hands. She self-published her work, founding a company to distribute her collections. “No one was much interested in a Black girl writing what was called ‘militant’ poetry,” she once wrote. “I thought of it as good poetry.”

Her boldness paid off. In 1972, at just 29 years old, she sold out Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center, reading her poetry to a crowd of more than 1,000 alongside the New York Community Choir. The following year, for her 30th birthday, she filled the 3,000-seat Philharmonic Hall, where the choir joined her again, along with Melba Moore and Wilson Pickett. The audience erupted joyfully when she recited her now-iconic poem, “Ego-Tripping.” The piece, a celebration of Black female strength, begins with the lines:

“I was born in the congo

I walked to the fertile crescent and built

the sphinx…”

And concludes triumphantly:

“I am so perfect so divine so ethereal so surreal

I cannot be comprehended

except by my permission

I mean…I…can fly

Like a bird in the sky…”

A Prolific Career

In addition to her poetry, Giovanni wrote children’s books, essays, and a memoir, “Gemini: An Extended Autobiographical Statement on My First Twenty-Five Years of Being a Black Poet (1971).” She was known for her candid reflections on race, gender, and identity, blending the personal with the political in provocative and deeply human ways.

Giovanni’s interview with James Baldwin on the television program Soul! in 1971 remains a touchstone in American cultural history. Their two-hour conversation, filmed in London, explored the intersections of race, gender, and societal expectations. At one point, she posed a raw question about the cycle of violence affecting Black families: “What do you do about a man who is mistreated in the world and comes home and brutalizes his wife? Where does that leave his daughter?” Baldwin’s response: “Sweetheart. Our ancestors taught us how to do that.”

An Educator and Mentor

In 1987, Giovanni joined the faculty at Virginia Tech, where she became a University Distinguished Professor. She remained there for 35 years, influencing generations of students with her wit, wisdom, and unwavering commitment to truth. Even in academia, her rebellious spirit shone through. Giovanni famously supported her student, Seung-Hui Cho, before he committed the tragic mass shooting at Virginia Tech in 2007. She had him removed from her class when she sensed his troubling nature.

Giovanni earned seven NAACP Image Awards, a Grammy nomination, and the distinction of having three of her books listed as New York Times and Los Angeles Times Best Sellers—a rare feat for a poet.

Giovanni described herself as a dreamer. “My dream was not to publish or to even be a writer,” she remarked. “My dream was to discover something no one else had thought of. I guess that’s why I’m a poet. We put things together in ways no one else does.”

A Legacy of Dreams and Defiance

Giovanni’s poetry was a lifeline for many, especially young Black women who saw their power and potential reflected in her verses. She wasn’t just a poet but a cultural force who celebrated Blackness, womanhood, and the art of dreaming. “I’m a writer. I’m happy,” she demanded.

Nikki Giovanni leaves behind her son, Thomas, and her granddaughter. Her father, mother, sister, and aunt preceded her in death.

A Decade After Water Crisis, Art Brings Hope and Healing to Flint

By Leave a Comment

The Flint Public Art Project’s mission is to organize public events, workshops, permanent and temporary installations to inspire residents to reimagine the city, reclaim vacant and underutilized buildings and lots, and use innovative tools to steer Flint’s long range planning. (Photo: Explore Flint & Genesee – Flint Public Art Project)

A Decade After Water Crisis, Art Brings Hope and Healing to Flint

As the community rebuilds, Black artists like Keyon Lovett are helping by promoting unity and hope.

By Nadira Jamerson, Word in Black

“Flint’s Still Fighting” is Word In Black’s series about the decade-long water crisis, and the resulting struggles and triumphs still transforming the majority-Black city.

When the water crisis hit Flint, Michigan, in 2014, residents were left with more than just contaminated pipes and brown, unsafe water flowing from their taps. The majority-Black city was also grappling with a profound lack of resources and opportunities. And as is so often the case in challenging times for the Black community, art became an outlet for expression, healing, and demanding accountability.

Ten years after the officials made the disastrous decision to switch Flint’s water supply from Detroit’s system to the Flint River to save money, Black artists are using their work to call for justice and document the city’s triumphs.

“Of course, there’s that feeling of dread because we still have a lot of dilapidated buildings and gray skies sometimes,” says Flint native Keyon Lovett, 34, a multi-disciplinary visual street artist, creatively known as The Art School Dropout. “But the hopeful thing is knowing on Friday that we have the Art Walk downtown. You can go to the Farmer’s Market and get some good food and see a show.”

Lovett didn’t plan to become an activist, but the water crisis changed the trajectory of his life. Around the time the crisis began, he left an arts program with Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Michigan, which is located two hours west of Flint near Grand Rapids. Lovett says he was unable to return home to Flint because the emergence of the water crisis meant there were few opportunities for artists in the city.

“I didn’t want to come home because the only work that would have possibly been available was working at UPS or General Motors, and my family already did that. I wasn’t trying to be the next lineage of Lovetts to be in the factory,” Lovett says.

Lovett stayed connected to what was happening in Flint through frequent trips home to visit friends and family — and what he saw began to show up in his art. In 2018, Lovett debuted “Home Sweet Home” at ArtPrize, an open, independently organized international art competition in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The live installation and accompanying documentary highlighted the realities for Flint residents during the water crisis.

“The installation I did was of me living in a house that was condemned, but I’m living off of six stacks of bottled water,” Lovett explains. “As the viewers of ArtPrize come in, they see me cooking, washing, brushing my teeth, and people would offer water because they’d see the stacks getting low. I’d say, ‘No. If I run out, I run out, because that’s how it is at home.’ That’s how it was. At the water centers, there would be days they had donations, and there would be days they don’t. People were stealing donations. People were breaking water machines.”

In the face of confusing news coverage and shame-dodging politicians who silenced many Flint residents, Lovett created the “Home Sweet Home” documentary that let Flint’s people speak the truth about the lack of access to safe and clean water.

“We filmed a short 10-minute documentary, and what I did was interview my family and friends and have them explain and share their stories on how the water crisis impacted the city, themselves, work, and everyday life,” Lovett says.

10 Years Later

A decade after the water crisis began, health implications from ingesting the unsafe water as well as financial burdens continue to plague residents. Lovett, who moved back to Flint in 2021, says that while there is much rebuilding left to do, the community is also beaming with progress and hope — and that is, in part, due to Black artists in the city.

“One of the reasons I moved back home is because of the renaissance of Black music, poetry, and art happening in Flint. A lot of Flint rappers, and singers, and artists are just being great. I wanted to come back home and be a part of that,” Lovett says.

In addition to his own work, Lovett says many other Flint organizations — from the Beats x Beers music tour, to Comma Bookstore & Social Club, and the creative co-op space Art At The Market — are using art to promote continued growth and healing.

Lovett and other artists in Flint follow in the footsteps of self-taught painter Clementine Hunter, who depicted plantation life through the 1800s, and renowned photographer Gordon Parks, who captured generations of movements for civil rights starting through the twentieth century. And as Octavia Butler said, “I began writing about power because I had so little.”

“It’s always important to have art that means something. Art that sheds a light and requires accountability,” Lovett says. “Even with the blight in the city, finding ways to put up murals, finding ways to have an initiative of Flint pride within the artwork, to even showcase a Flint artist, is important.”

The Future of Flint

Lovett says the water crisis briefly equalized Flint, forcing both the affluent and working-class residents to grapple with the same lack of accessible clean water. Now, he hopes the unity birthed from that shared struggle can leave Flint’s divisions behind for good as the city’s vibrant arts scene leads it into a culture of collective effort — and a brighter future.

“Just be one and leave all of the classism behind,” he says. “Just be Flint.”

PRESS ROOM: Poetry Foundation and Complexly Announce New Ours Poetica Co-Curators

By Leave a Comment

Charlotte Abotsi is a writer, educator, and filmmaker from Providence, Rhode Island. As a spoken word poet, she has competed in several international slams, placing in the top 20 poets at the 2016 Women of the World Poetry Slam, and winning the 2017 Feminine Empowerment Movement Slam competition. Her poems have been written about in The Huffington Post and Mic.com. As a filmmaker, Charlotte has focused on documentary film, debuting her short documentary “Process” at the 2018 Ocean State Film Festival. She is a 2014 Pink Door fellow, a 2019 Poetry Foundation Incubator fellow, a 2020 Tin House Writer’s Workshop Fellow, a 2020 DreamYard Radical Poetry Consortium Fellow, 2021 AIR Serenbe Focus Fellow, and a 2021 Define Immigrant Creative Fellow.

Charlotte Abotsi and Sarah Kay join as co-curators for Season 2

CHICAGO — The Poetry Foundation and Complexly announce the new co-curators of the twice-weekly YouTube series Ours Poetica: Charlotte Abotsi and Sarah Kay. The poetic duo will continue inviting guests to share poems they love with audiences in short and sweet readings that evoke the tactile joy of holding a book while experiencing a poem. Ours Poetica returns to screens of all sizes every Monday and Friday, starting September 20.

View the trailer: https://youtu.be/5ECAiuawqR0

Ours Poetica delighted audiences in its first season with intimate videos produced by Complexly, the production company behind Crash Course and The Art Assignment. Past guests include author and Complexly cofounder John Green, actress Shailene Woodley, poet and #TheSealeyChallenge creator Nicole Sealey, and, of course, Nando the Cat.

“I’ve been a fan of Ours Poetica since Season 1; I love its celebratory nature and how it uplifts and champions a vast spectrum of poets and poetry,” said new co-curator Charlotte Abotsi. “When Sarah asked me to join her in curating, I was honored and excited to get to work. This season we’re looking to bring Ours Poetica to an even larger audience and widening the diversity of both the guests and the poems selected. If there are people who haven’t yet found poetry that speaks to them in the existing poetry landscapes, we hope Ours Poetica will offer a unique entry point to poetry.”

O Captain! My CoCaptain!

Abotsi and Kay intend to bring their own interest and styles to the series that they love, inviting new audiences into poetry. Upcoming guests include New York Times bestseller Clint Smith, comedian Mike Birbiglia, and Lincoln Center Poet in Residence Mahogany L. Browne.

Charlotte Abotsi is a writer, educator, and filmmaker from Providence, Rhode Island. As a spoken word poet, she has competed in several international slams, placing in the top 20 poets at the 2016 Women of the World Poetry Slam, and winning the 2017 Feminine Empowerment Movement Slam competition; her work has been written about in HuffPost and Mic. As a filmmaker, Abotsi has focused on documentary film, debuting her short documentary Process at the 2018 Ocean State Film Festival. She has received fellowships from the Pink Door Writing Retreat, the Incubator for Community-Engaged Poets, Tin House, DreamYard’s Rad(ical) Poetry Consortium, AIR Serenbe, and Define American.

Sarah Kay is a writer, performer, and educator from New York City. Kay has published four books of poetry: B, No Matter the Wreckage, The Type, and All Our Wild Wonder. She is the founder and co-director of Project VOICE, an organization that uses poetry to entertain, educate, and empower students and educators in classrooms and communities worldwide. Sarah is a producer of the web series There’s a Poem for That, which seeks to create new pathways to poetry by bringing together poetry and animation; one video from the series won Best Animation Short at the 2019 Raindance Film Festival, and another received a 2019 Annecy Cristal for a Commissioned Film.

When Sarah Kay was approached about taking up the curatorial helm, she knew she wanted to work alongside Abotsi.

“Charlotte is one of the best curators I know. She has impeccable taste, is an avid and discerning reader, and has such an eye for finding talented artists who deserve amplification. Not to mention she’s an incredible poet and editor herself, with such a genuine love of this art form,” said co-curator Sarah Kay of her collaborator. “We have known and admired each other for over a decade, and she has been both my mentee and my mentor! She has incredible creative instincts, and I couldn’t be luckier to learn from her and work with her on this project.”

Twice-weekly posting begins on Monday, September 20. For updates, subscribe and follow along on YouTube, Twitter, and Instagram.

About the Poetry Foundation

The Poetry Foundation, publisher of Poetry magazine, is an independent literary organization committed to a vigorous presence for poetry in American culture. It exists to discover and celebrate the best poetry and to place it before the largest possible audience. The Poetry Foundation seeks to be a leader in shaping a receptive climate for poetry by developing new audiences, creating new avenues for delivery, and encouraging new kinds of poetry through innovative literary prizes and programs.

Follow the Poetry Foundation and Poetry on Facebook at facebook.com/poetryfoundation,  facebook.com/poetryfoundationchildren, Twitter @PoetryFound and @Poetrymagazine, and Instagram @PoetryFoundation.

About Complexly

Founded in 2012 by Hank and John Green, Complexly is the production company for Crash Course, SciShow, Eons, and a dozen other education video channels and podcasts. With a worldwide audience of 20 million subscribers and 2.4 billion views on YouTube, Complexly is one of the largest global online educational companies. We make content that reflects our own enthusiasm for understanding and imagining the world complexly. Learn more at complexly.com.

Popular Event Poetry Unplugged Returns

By Leave a Comment

For a long time there was an event many adult Milwaukeeans looked forward to attending, a night of poetry, great vibes and fellowship. Known as Poetry Unplugged the night  frequently brought the of the city out,  to experience spoken word from some of Milwaukee’s best. Focused on providing a safe alternative for entertainment. Due to Covid we have not seen it for some time, not until It’s founder Long time community leader Kwabena Nixon revieved it. 502 on Garfield was the site for PU2, which was held out outside during a perfect weather day in Milwaukee. In addition to poetry, there were African dances and drummers to set the cultural vibe many have been missing. Voter registration was also going on, as some of the events sponsors NAACP and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity were present. Social distance guidelines were in full affect as visitors were able to still order food and drinks. It was a nostalgic moment for the city very uplifting I look forward to more.

by Joshua Thomas