North Carolina's first Black Poet Laureate, Jaki Shelton Green, spent Black History Month criss-crossing the state hosting various events. I was delighted to close out this special month in attendance at her documentary poetry workshop my hometown of Durham, NC. Ms. Green introduced a short film called The Color of Reality by Jon Boogz, featuring the art of Alexa Meade. We were asked to interpret the ending of the film into words that might be spoken by the shadows of the men after their untimely end. I have posted the video below, along with the poem it inspired me to write.
Man, I told you
We shoulda stayed inside
Done came out here and died
You said we'd be okay
I aint tryna take
No chariot ride today
How was I supposed to know
And where else were we supposed to go
I'm sorry I dragged you into it
Sorry we had to go through it
The pain, the tears
All the broken years
Being ignored in these streets
I wonder how long
We gone lay here and bleed.
Divinely, another such destination during the month included her very own induction ceremony at the North Carolina State Capitol. This event had been rescheduled twice due to extreme weather conditions. I believe that the ultimate date, in the middle of Black History Month, was perfect timing. Watch a video the celebration below. Her introduction by North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper can be found at the 23.00 minute mark.
I hope you enjoyed your visit to my blog today. Thanks for stopping by!
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