By Synthia Tashfi
Edited by Nadya R.
Since October is designated as Black History Month by several countries, such as the United Kingdom and Ireland, while noting that the 17th of this month also marked the annual Black Poetry Day, it is prudent to gain awareness of the history and culture of the black community. In a world where systematic racism is still embedded in our societies, whether it is the police brutality against African-Americans in the United States or the slave labour forced upon the people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, it is essential that one be educated of the struggles of our black companions, as well as show solidarity in their culture and art.
The significance of Black Poetry Day in particular holds the acknowledgement of iconic figures of the black community that have cultivated the power of words in defiance of social injustice while also empowering the marginalised and reinforcing their identity in a society where they are shunned. Here we explore five such figures from different eras that contributed to literature by their expression of resilience and identity through poetry.
Jupiter Hammon
Born into slavery in 1711, Jupiter Hammon is the first African-American poet whose poems were published in the United States and, as such, is known as the founder of African-American literature. His writings included religious Christian influences as well as anti-slavery views. Though Hammon is not considered as radical as the later black poets, as he called for a more gradual abolition to slavery than an immediate one, his work had given massive contribution to the community as they challenged the racist notions that African-Americans were uneducated or illiterate, showing that they are intellectually capable to take part in literary discourse. In honour of Hammon’s significance , Black Poetry Day is commemorated annually on his birthday.
Philis Wheatley
Born in West Africa, Philis Wheatley was transported to the United States and enslaved as a child in 1761, where she was given education. This helped her to start writing poetry as a teenager, publishing her first poem in 1767. Wheatley was the first African American woman to publish a book of poetry in 1773, titled Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral. This was after her battle at court in 1772 against American colonists who were in suspicion that an enslaved African such as herself would be able to write such “excellent” poetry and as such questioned her authorship. Like Hammon, her works also had heavy Christian influences as well as views against slavery and racism, though much more radical, acting as a rebuttal to the dehumanisation of African Americans, noting that they can be as intellectually proficient as the white colonists.
Paul Laurance Dunbar
In 1872, Paul Laurance Dunbar was born in Kentucky to parents who were formerly enslaved. Dunbar was one of the first black poets to get boundless attention and acclaim; during a time when African-Americans were restricted in contributing to the arts, he went against the status quo of the then literary world. His recognition proved to be noteworthy and had opened doors to future African Americans that were keen to add to the literary discourse with their own voices. Dunbar’s exploration of identity in We Wear the Mask gives voice to the black American experience of having to stifle their true self and portray a front so as to be more accepted in a racist society back then. He is also known for including his African-American dialect in poems such as When Malindy Sings, a technique that was praised as it authentically encapsulated the lingo that was used by black communities in the South, giving them representation.
Maya Angelou
Poet, essayist, actor, screenwriter, and Hollywood’s first female black director, Maya Angelou, was born in 1928 in Missouri, United States. Her poetry is instilled with empowerment for the marginalised, in particular black people and women in general. In Still I Rise, Angelou calls upon those who were victims of racism and sexism to rise above calamity with resilience and persistence: You may kill me with your hatefulness/ But still, like air, I’ll rise. There is also a consistent focus on black womanhood in her work, like Phenomenal Woman, where Angelou challenged harsh and unrealistic beauty standards and honoured the complexity and individuality of being a black woman. Angelou was also a civil rights activist and had worked with Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. Her famous poem, Caged Bird, portrays an allegory for the black American experience, where the suppression of the “caged bird” is juxtaposed with the freedom of a “free bird.”
Warsan Shire
Lastly Somali-British writer and poet Warsan Shire was born in Nairobi, Kenya, 1988, and grew up in London. Themes of Shire’s work include immigration, displacement, identity, and womanhood. Her poem Home gives insight into the lives of refugees and immigrants, in particular the line: No one leaves home unless home is the mouth of a shark, which resonates deeply with those who are displaced. In For Women Who Are Difficult to Love, she explores trauma, relationships, and love. She has won the Brunel International African Poetry Prize in 2013 as well as received global attention for writing the poetry featured in Beyoncé’s visual album Lemonade. Her poetry collections include Teaching My Mother How to Give Birth and Bless the Daughter Raised by a Voice in Her Head: Poems.
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