APRIL IS NATIONAL POETRY MONTH!

How I got ovah, How I got ovah, You know my soul looks back and wonder, How I got ovah. A mashup of Mahalia Jackson X Carolyn Rodgers.

Last year was the year of The Big Black Cat! This year is the year of Genesis. Paying homage and ruminating on the beginning. For the next 30 days, I will post testaments, prayers, gospels, psalms, or just insimple layperson’s terms, poetry that was written by 18th Century, 19th century free and enslaved poets. No spelling errors have beenmade. These poems have been typed as they were written.

Before I kick off this month-long celebration. I would first like to big up my sources. This wouldn’t be possible without John Russwurm, Samuel Cornish, Frederick Douglass, Thomas Hamilton, and Robert Hamilton.The Freedom Journal, Frederick Douglass’ Paper, The North Star, The Weekly Anglo-African Newspaper, The Anglo-African Magazine, and countless other African American owned Anti-Slavery, Abolitionistnewspapers. That informed, educated, and advocated on behalf of African Americans. That gave a voice to the voiceless.

I would like to acknowledge the brave women and men. Who wrote these poems and shared them with the world. Thank you.

April Is National Poetry Month!