This past year has shown the country a truth which many people of color have already held close to their hearts: that black bodies are not recognized as objects worthy of value. From the refusal to see evidence that could proven Troy Davis’s innocence, to the upholding of laws that allowed Trayvon Martin to be murdered for looking “dangerous,” the messaging that we receive as people of color is that our lives are not as valuable as others. Recently, Michael Brown was unarmed and still shot multiple times and killed by a an officer of the law. The nation then watched as our legal apparatus did not even deem the case worthy of investigation. We have a right to be angry.
Poets Amanda Johnston, Mahogany L. Browne, Jonterri Gadson, Jericho Brown & Sherina Rodriguez have been curating a campaign called #BlackPoetsSpeakOut to feature black poets across the country sharing poems in response to the grand jury decision in Ferguson.
BLACK POETS SPEAK OUT Statement
In light of the continuous murders of black people across the nation, Black poets across the country are sharing video responses in solidarity with those who refuse to accept these atrocities as a normal condition of black life. We are using the force of our art to transform policy. We can no longer settle for incremental adjustments. We are calling for an absolute transformation. We will not be done until we see justice for the murder of black people.
More Details + We NeeD Your Help
Poets Amanda Johnston, Mahogany L. Browne, Jonterri Gadson, Jericho Brown & Sherina Rodriguez organized this platform to support a collective response to this nation’s continued murder of Black people. Visit www.blackpoetsspeakout.tumblr.com for more information and for the full list of videos.
Contribute a Poem
We encourage you to share these poems as well as contribute your own poems to this collective internet catharsis and tag them with #blackpoetsspeakout.
Share on Your Networks and tag #BlackPoetsSpeakOut
Thank you for participating.
