Renee Watson and Jacqueline Woodson
Wednesday, March 18, 2015, 6:30pm to 8:00pm Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture 515 Malcolm X Blvd Harlem In her inspired Young Adult debut, This... Read More
Poetry
A Last Poet In Senegal – the Daddy Rapper
6 min read
Day 4, February 4, 2015 In December of 2012, I had a wonderful opportunity to visit Senegal, West Africa. The American embassy sponsored my trip,... Read More
A Tribute To Henry Dumas – AfroHorn
2 min read
Henry Dumas (July 20, 1934 – May 23, 1968) was an African-American writer and poet. He has been called “an absolute genius” by Toni Morrison, who as a commissioning editor at Random House published... Read More
Day 2 - February 2, 2015 Call it the magic of melanin The essence of soul No drug could take its place No amount of practice Can give you this edge This is an african thing An electric sensation Felt by anyone who can see and feel No one can teach this But it’s there like the air With an attitude Mother Nature stands with hands on hips Daring you to change the weather Jackie had it when he stole home plate Jack Johnson had it when he hit you in your face It’s like the music that’s not written But it makes you dance It’s the african drum Beating even after the drum was taken away We be the beat of life You can hear and feel the rhythm When Serena takes the court Even her sister Venus Has voodooized the sport Ali made it glisten And rope-a-doped you with his charm Michael Jordan mastered the science Even the officials were disarmed It can’t be copied bought or captured It’s the freedom of the african soul Bathing in the well of our ancestors It is truly black diamond and gold —ABIODUN, 2-1-15 Abiodun Oyewole is one of the founding members of The Last Poets. He's reachable at "poetabiodun@yahoo.com".... Read More
Paul Lawrence Dunbar and George D. Gaffney
6 min read
Paul Laurence Dunbar is one of America’s greatest and most prolific poets. Born June 27, 1872 in Dayton, Ohio to parents who had been slaves, he... Read More