Jan 17, 20216 min
by Sally Nolan
However, there is an aspect of the #BlackLivesMatter movement that has not gained much attention, and that’s poetry. Beautiful art has been created throughout this movement, and one thing is for sure: it’s not going away. I spoke to some of the poets who took pen to paper in order to express themselves on the events over the last few months.
In a statement, Tania added: “Black people have gone through an enormous amount of suffering and we as a society owe a great debt to them. I pray for love, light, and peace. I hope the world will change for the better and racism will be a distant memory but since we as developed countries are still fighting against such a backward mindset, it may be just a dream.”
When asked about her experiences of racism in the UK Tania said, “I have experienced several instances of racism throughout my life. At times it has been crippling, especially during the EDL rallies.” Incidents like this have made Tania worry for her son growing up in a society in which racism is so prevalent.
Tania added “I wrote this poem in solidarity with #blacklivesmatter and in the wake of the horrendous murder of George Floyd. My heart is perpetually shattered by the frequency of these heinous crimes against humanity. You don’t have to be black or even a person of color to support a movement that in its core is about something as simple as human rights.”
John’s poem centres on George Floyd’s outcry “I Can’t Breathe” but ties together years of systemic racism as he comments on the history of black slavery, black education, black prison sentences and police brutality.
John ties in names in history that ring in the ears of black people every day such as Rodney King, Donte Hamilton, and Michael Brown Junior.
In an interview John said: “Music and the arts are really the place people can go to vent their frustrations and emotions and that’s how I felt. The overwhelming feeling of hurt, frustration and simply “not again” came to mind and that’s what I wanted to come across.”
John works in HR in Preston, and so doesn’t make a living off of his writing. This is the first poem that John has shared publicly.
One of the most important things for John is the power of poetry. When speaking about his poem he said: “I’ve realised from having and using our voices people listen. Now is no longer the time to stay silent.”
In our interview, Hafsa said: “As a young female black Muslim, I can absolutely relate to what is happening to my people so everything I write is coming from a sensitive place.”
Hafsa’s poem focuses on the black men that are being targeted by the police through spoken word. In the opening of the poem Hafsa says:
Hafsa said, “I use my voice to help raise awareness because right now that is my strongest tool.”
Hafsa added: “Regarding my poetry, I have been expressing myself in the form of poetry since I was a child and it is my version of sharing how I feel.”
Hafsa frequently posts her poetry on her Instagram page. She uses her page to share her thoughts and hopes to talk about important and relevant issues.
In our interview, Kawthar said, “I find writing poetry cathartic, it soothes my soul. It helps me process my own thoughts. There is no need for an introduction, it just gets right at the heart of what I’m feeling.”
On asking why she felt the need to record her spoken word Kawthar said: “I wanted others to feel my rage, to feel a sense of unity and share my piece in the collective trauma with other black people and also with humanity.”
In our interview, Zhay said: “I couldn't go out to the protests cause I am high risk and I really wanted to do my part in inspiring those who were going out and protesting, so that’s why I wrote the poem.
In the piece Zhay says:
On discussing her poetry Zhay said: “Poetry has always been the way I felt like I had any impact on my immediate environment. I believe that when fighting something as big as systematic racism and racial injustices, the best way to tackle it is from all angles.”
Zhay, who suffers from bad asthma, went on to say: “There are people starting petitions, going on protests, there are people actively trying to change laws and policies. Then there are artists who are using what they know best.
“At the end of the day, we all need to do whatever we can to bring this age-old giant down.
So I used what I have always known, poetry.
Zhay, who usually turns to poetry when feeling overwhelmed, finished the poem saying:
Poetry has always been a powerful tool of expression, and for these young writers, their work has voiced some of their hurt, pain, anger and emotion of the events over the last few months. Their poetry is something we should all be hearing.
If you want to hear more from these poets, you can follow them on Twitter:
Sally Nolan is a writer for Radical Art Review.