Black Future Month: New Age Poets
Everyone knows what poetry is and for those that are unsure how to describe it, it is the art of life through words and a paintbrush for the tongue when spoken and a million dollar picture painted when written.
So what is a new age poet?
A new age poet would be a poet who has stepped up the poetry game, bringing light and dark in love and hate. No longer just putting the words on paper, but using their voices to create that escape. Putting a feeling in every word and giving a voice to an emotion. Speaking subjects that no one dares to touch. That is what I mean when i say "new age."
In this BFM (Black Future Month) article, I will be showcasing five (5) black poets that have left a strong message. Click their names to view more of their videos and I hope you enjoy this list as much as I enjoyed choosing ten poems by new age poets of color.
A poet known for being included in The Strivers Row, Mr. Bennett is a poet of life, love and even rejoice if you take his poems to heart. One of my favorites [out of many more than I can list] is one named, "Ten Things I Want to Say to a Black Woman."
This poem was posted to YouTube in 2011 and has been something I listen to when I feel myself falling. It teaches a black woman to love herself and tells her that she is appreciated, even if by someone she has never met before.
Back on June 2, 2015, Button Poetry published a video by a young woman named Crystal Valentine. Ms. Valentine's spoken word on this day was released as, "Black Privilege." With this title she attracted my attention as I was curious to what privileges I have- considering the day and age we live in. Listen to her words and listen carefully and you might even interpret this differently than I have.
"How to Survive Being a Black Girl" shows the balance in being both black and a girl or woman. Ms. Taylor addresses domestic control and standards we are subliminally held to uphold and should be aware of if we want to be unapologetic to ourselves. Listen below to see what's in store.
Elizabeth Acevedo Not all of black poetry is about the racial aspects of course. One of my favorite poems comes from Ms. Acevedo called, "Hair." This poem is filled with soul as she describes the unspoken words between her and her mother after being told to, "Go fix your hair."
Ms. Freeman leaves no questions unanswered in her poem, "The Drug Dealer's Daughter." She creates a verbal outlet of her past and paints it with that brush we know to be a tongue. Going through a list of ten things, she describes what it's like and how it feels to go through what the news will never tell you.
With all of these men and women, there are many more poems I will call my favorites. Which of these were your favorites? If you have a favorite poet, let us know in the comments!
[These videos are not property of Ink Panda]
Art on!
