Delighted to feature this excellent poem by Mi’kmaw storyteller and poet Shalan Joudry of Bear River First Nation. The Nova Scotia Advocate tries to amplify voices that aren’t often heard. Surely we can count poets among those voices.
Today we feature Black Sheroes, a poem by El Jones. “If you’re only telling the history of Black men then there’s a half that you missed.”
In June 1734 Marie Joseph Angelique a Black slave woman was hanged in Montreal for burning down much of that town earlier that year. Her last days provide the inspiration for this poem by poet and historian Afua Cooper.
The Passage, a poem from And I Alone Escaped to Tell You, a collection of poetry by writer and filmmaker Sylvia Hamilton. Because it is the start of African Heritage Month, and because it is beautiful.
Erin Wunker, professor at Acadia University ,and author of Notes from a Feminist Killjoy, speaks at yesterday’s Women’s March rally in Halifax. “What language do we use to refuse what is and imagine what could be?”
These two video fragments of the great Mi’kmaw poet Rita Joe are definitely worth a look. Check out the last interview with Rita Joe before her death, and her memories of leaving the Shubenacadie Residential School behind forever.
This weekend’s video is a spoken word poem by the young and very talented Guyleigh Johnson, about community and growing up in North Dartmouth. Not to be missed.
Rebecca Thomas trying to get Halifax councillors to recognize their sense of entitlement and white supremacy. It’s an uphill battle.