Tag: African-American tradition

CELEBRATE BLACK POETRY

- Jill Leave a comment

In 1970, folk musician Stanley A. Ransom proposed that October 17th each year be set aside as a national day to celebrate black literature and culture. He selected this day in commemoration of the birthday of Jupiter Hammon in 1711. Hammon is popularly known as the father of African American literature and was the first published black poet in the United States. Black Poetry Day, established in his honor, is a day to recognize the contributions to literature of past and present black poets and writers and to celebrate the black experience, particularly as expressed through poetry.

Jupiter Hammon was born into slavery in New York and served four generations of the Henry Lloyd estate owners during his lifetime, including during the Revolutionary War. He was never emancipated. Despite his circumstances, which he actually considered to give him “more advantages and privileges” [1] than most other slaves and “more than many white people have enjoyed” [1], he become a well-respected preacher and bookkeeper-clerk.  His work about slavery received wide circulation. His first poem “An Evening Thought: Salvation by Christ with Penitential Cries” was published in 1761. Hammon’s second published poem came about by his recognition of the need to support and encourage other black writers at a time when they did not receive the same kind of support as whites. “An Address to Miss Phillis Wheatley”, was written by Hammon as an encouragement to Miss Wheatley in admiration of her work as the first published black female author. Hammon’s work drew heavily on Christian motifs and theology, serving as an encouragement to his fellow slaves to persevere.

Black poetry does not have to be about slavery, segregation, or the equal rights movement. However, it is often linked to the experiences of African Americans and their history in America which is tied inextricably to their race. Use these books as a jumping off point to explore, appreciate, and celebrate the contributions African-American poets have made (and continue to make) to the richness of American poetry.

The 100 best African American poems) edited by Nikki Giovanni
The Oxford anthology of African-American poetry edited by Arnold Rampersad
Poemhood, our black revival : history, folklore & the Black experience: a young adult poetry anthology edited by Amber McBride, Taylor Byas, and Erica Martin
Black liturgies : prayers, poems, and meditations for staying human by Cole Arthur Riley
This is the honey : an anthology of contemporary Black poets edited by Kwame Alexander

[1] BlackPast, B. (2012, March 15). (1787) Jupiter Hammon, “An Address to the Negroes in the State of New York”. BlackPast.org. https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/1787-jupiter-hammon-address-negroes-state-new-york/

Soul Food Love by Alice Randall and Caroline Randall Williams

- Ann Leave a comment

soul food loveA mother-daughter duo reclaims and redefines soul food by mining the traditions of four generations of black women and creating 80 healthy recipes to help everyone live longer and stronger.

In May 2012, bestselling author Alice Randall penned an op-ed in the New York Times titled “Black Women and Fat,” chronicling her quest to be “the last fat black woman” in her family. She turned to her daughter, Caroline Randall Williams, for help. Together they overhauled the way they cook and eat, translating recipes and traditions handed down by generations of black women into easy, affordable, and healthful – yet still indulgent – dishes, such as Peanut Chicken Stew, Red Bean and Brown Rice Creole Salad, Fiery Green Beans, and Sinless Sweet Potato Pie.

Soul Food Love relates the authors’ fascinating family history (which mirrors that of much of black America in the twentieth century), explores the often fraught relationship African-American women have had with food, and forges a powerful new way forward that honors their cultural and culinary heritage. This is what the strong black kitchen looks like in the twenty-first century. (description from publisher)