The Youth Are Artists Too
Rashaun J. Allen writes about workshopping with youths who have desires to weave different forms of art into artist and personal statements.
The Sounds of Success: A Walk Through Brooklyn Back Then and Now
Back in 2010, I was 22 years old and eager to find a way to put my own work out. But I didn’t know where nor how to begin a publishing journey. Instead, I got on stage to perform pieces that would be foundational to it. Why? My exposure to poetry wasn’t contemporary poets on…
Ain’t A Black Holiday
Rashaun passionately reads “Ain’t A Black Holiday” from The Blues Cry For A Revolution.
Real Art Protest – Protest 101
You feel passion about an injustice? You realize a law is not a right? Step up and step into a situation to change. Here are a couple rules to play the political game. Rule 1 – Set a goal to spread awareness about an issue. Put pressure on those in power to make a specific…
Layers Of Love – A Wonder Of The World
He doesn’t take the time to know you Like the way you dress is a reflection of your mood Draped in gray is a day hearing “I love you” is more than words Like your beauty is more than physical Your vibration is magic To be in sync Is to hear your heart beat as…
Framed In Excellence – an American Dream
What is the American Dream for a black family? For many of us the Obamas’ are our American Dream – a house, marriage, children and a career with a path to retirement. But for most of us getting to that reality is as rare as a black family in the white house. Instead, we face…
7 Generations – Kinship
“Certificates are the best source of information,” Shirley said as she chopped a green pepper. She is my cousin-in-law. More precisely, she is Errol’s wife, who is my third cousin once removed. The kinship may sound distant but we’re bonded in genealogy. “What could a certificate reveal?” I said. I had been tracing family history…
7 Generations – Paper Trail
I was looking for a photo of my Great-grandma – Gracie Johnson. It was a black and white photo that showed her wearing a full-length coat with a matching hat. I wanted a second look to get a glimpse of her life – a black woman born about 1892 in North Carolina, whose marriage in…
Layers of Love – Like Us
We clicked like two fingers used to snap Your personality was a melody that made opposites attract The rhythm of your voice was in tuned with my heart You never spoke to the man But wooed the King in me from the start A small town girl dealing with an inner city brother You respected…
7 Generations – What Lies Within a Marriage Certificate
“Your battery is low,” popped up on my laptop’s screen a moment after I discovered the marriage certificate information of my Great-Grandparents – Japheth Trumpet and Irene DePeiza on Ancestry.com. I raced through the living room and kitchen looking for the power cord as I thought this could be the breakthrough I needed. My information…
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