Black womanhood is the ultimate act of rebellion
Hey Peeps,
It's been a while since I sat down and touched base with you, huh? I mean one-on-one? I did my 30 days of poetry for April - which was fun. It's always a good thing to go back and find these gems that I have hidden on my hard drive. Upon seeing all of the work that I have, my friend poet, writer and Howard University professor Tony Medina was like, "you better share that work!" And I have even more now!
Real talk now though: I've been chillin' on a boat in a canal somewhere in Copenhagen. Although I am in the city it's quiet and calm. I'm continuing to be blessed with teaching opportunities. I love the variety of my gigs - covering a range of abilities and backgrounds. I appreciate the presence of all the beautiful children in my life - and the love and respect they fertilize my life with. I dig teaching the adults, getting all geeky about grammar and words - words- words. I worked hard to get here - to shed all that I had taken on needlessly and I'm continuing to work hard to build my life based on authenticity. And I have the deepest regard and respect for those who are in my life - my friends and family. I wouldn't be here without them. I don't get down to well with folks who are only attracted to my shine. How you react to my cracks however, well, that's another story. The most radical thing you can do I see - is be a Black woman untethered. And I mean that in every way possible.
I have some gigs coming up. The Say it Loud poetry collective will be performing next week May 19th at 21:00 as part of the Talk Town Festival. The Talk Town Festival is a debate festival on gender, equality and feminism. The Say it Loud poetry collective are:
Zanubia A. Omar (Denmark/Somalia)
Helen Whitney Werle (Kenya/Denmark/Germany)Saynab Farah Dahir (Denmark/Somalia)Lesley-Ann Brown (Trinidad/US/Denmark) Saredo Qassim Mohamed (Canada/Somalia)
Our show for the evening is entitled Race, gender and decolonial love.
We touch on themes of Gender, Race, Pan-Africanism, The Diaspora, Immigrant life, Sexuality, Radical self love, Community building, Colonially etc.
Say it Loud is a collective effort of Black women poets in Copenhagen. Its purpose is to create an inclusive platform for experiences and voices. Say it Loud is about call and response - engaging community in a creative cypher. The world is bleeding and we need our artists to be healers, soothsayers and witnesses. The revolution is live.
In the beginning of June I will be going to Berlin for the 4th edition of BE.BOP 2016: Call and Response and return/continue to Copenhagen - BE.BOP is curated by Alanna Lockward and Art Labour Archives. I'm looking forward to hear and experience the myriad of Black talent and to be involved in dialogue with artists and thinkers from all over the world such as Walter Mignolo, Teresa Maria Diaz Nerio, Rolando Vazquez, Frau Elena, Gina Mönch, Nazila Vida Roxana Ghavami Kivi, La Raza, Negra Cubana, Dalida MarÃa Benfield, Jeannette Ehlers, Eric Van Grasdorff, Julia Roth, Francisca Puo-An Wufu, Javier Tapia, Patricia Kaersenhout, Quinsy Gario.
The fourth edition of BE.BOP, a production of Art Labour Archives, brings together this year artistic practices and scientific contributions under the thematic framework of CALL & RESPONSE. The designation CALL & RESPONSE describes the antiphony effect, characteristic to African musical legacies in which the audience responds to a leading voice at systematic intervals. BE.BOP also operates as a safe space, a quintessential maroon category, and as such has become an utterly rewarding collective experience. It starts with a three day intense program at Volksbühne am Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz in Berlin and continues in Copenhagen at the Trampoline House and the University of Copenhagen.
In July I will be participating in a dialogue evening, this too in Germany on New Materialism & Decolonialism. More information to come. So happy and humbled for these opportunities. I am truly a wealthy woman.
