April Is National Poetry Month!

TO BE BLACK IN AMERICA

APPEARED IN "ROCKS CRY OUT," PUBLISHED BY 

BROADSIDE PRESS.

Attribution: CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT ARCHIVE

NANCY LEVI ARNEZ 

POET X EDUCATOR

To be black in America
Is to be constantly scorned—
To be forever mourned

It's a tearful eye.
It's a gasping sigh.

It's a tearful eye. 

It's a gasping sigh.

To be black in America
Is to be shoved to the side—
To be drowned in the tide;
It's a fist of hate.

It's a bolted gate.

To be black in America
Is to be treated like dirt—
To be forever hurt.
It's a way of life.
It's endless strife.

To be black in America
Is to never be free—
To be cut from a tree.
It's a sea of woe.
It's a swift death blow.

Read more about Civil Rights History and Poems @ CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT ARCHIVE

 April Is National Poetry Month!

GOD BLAME AMERICA!!

"GOD BLAME AMERICA," APPEARS IN A "BLACK MANIFESTO IN 

JAZZ POETRY AND PROSE."

TED JOANS

POET X PAINTER X FILMMAKER X JAZZ TRUMPETER

GOD BLAME AMERICA!!

America/Miss America is over paid, over fed, over stuffed and now over here!

America/poets dont fasten their flies no more

America/ shoes can not be worn out on fingers

America/Germany is just as strong as America under arms

America/Mickey the Mouse is colored

America/whiskey contains cigarette cancer

America/I lick stamps on the wrong side

America/ nine to five aint forever, is it?

America/your fliptop box is showing

America/your women sound like sex starved Donald Ducks

America/the electric chair is too comfortable for your officials

America/I do not want to be integrated into you

America/I continue eating watermelons on TV for a fee

America/Why do I scare thee when I attempt to live free?

America/hot dogs cant be hamburgers much longer

America/Jazz has won the youth of the world

America/rhinoceroses are lonely in the zoos

America/the ghosts of Indians haunt your family nightly?

America/many of them aint really ready, are they?

America/Kosher cats closed my contract to you

America/ screaming is still valid

America/I do believe you're afraid

America/Munchen maids dance black

America/I sing Round Bout Midnight

America/Your eyes are nervous

America/your handshake's a fake

America/your mask has slipped America/your whites arent hip

America/their blues aint sad

America/your image is bad

America/surrender to the East! Forget the West! Go it

alone, that's best!

America can you hear me? America, did you hear what

I said? America??

(a voice) FUCK YOU!

America/MAY I?

 

April Is National Poetry Month!

FAIR USE & EDUCATIONAL DISCLAIMER

This content is shared for non-profit, educational, and transformative purposes in celebration of National Poetry Month. My goal is to provide literary analysis, historical context, and public exposure for these incredible Black poets.

Credit: All rights belong to the respective authors and publishers.

Intent: This use is intended to fall under the "Fair Use" guidelines of Section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Act.

Removal: If you are the copyright owner and wish to have a poem removed, please contact me directly, and I will comply immediately.

April Is National Poetry Month!

XXXX ameriKKKa 

April Is National Poetry Month!

XXXX ameriKKKa

NICOLE HAMMETT 

POET X WRITER X AUTHOR X NOVELIST X PLAYWRIGHT X EDITOR 

X ILLUSTRATOR X PUBLISHER 

I wanted to write a poem about this past year 

And fxxxed up months 

That we have endured 

Why    waste    words    ? 

The dismantling and distortion don't do a damn thing

The atrocities have already been documented

ameriKKKa ain't never been great

And may you be reminded of this

Every time you see a black face

And may I remember my strength

Every time I look in the mirror

And chant 

Fuck ameriKKKa!

April Is National Poetry Month!

SAY IT LOUD!

WE’RE BLACK AND WE’RE PROUD!

Welcome to the 9^th Annual 

“April Is National Poetry Month Celebration!”

30 Days of Black Poetry!

In the past, we have celebrated the poetry of Marcus Garvey, “The Year of Black Moses.” Featured the poetry of the Brothers and Sisters of The Black Panther Party. “The Year of the Big Black Cat.” Paid homage to the Beginning, “Year of Genesis: Testaments, Prayers, Gospels, Psalms, or just in simple layperson’s terms, poetry written by 18th-century free and enslaved poets.” Honored Langston Hughes and Nikki Giovanni. Spotlighted Black Poets from the 1960s and 70s. Poets who poet unapologetically black.

With the current state of ameriKKKa and its transgressions against our itty-bitty teeny-weenie progress that we have made thus far. It’s only befitting that this year’s theme ties to ameriKKKa and all her gory.

During the next 30 days. You will read poems, testaments of our faith, our strength, our endurance, and our resilience.

GET READY!

APRIL IS NATIONAL POETRY MONTH!

  Get Ready!

It's About to go down in April! 

The 9th Annual 

April is

 National Poetry Month Celebration!

30 days of celebrating Black Poems by Black Poets!

In the meantime, between times.

You can read previous poems from past April is National Poetry Month Celebration here.