I see myself I am mesmerized by my power. Emmanuella My name means God is with us I will not fail I see my cocoa-colored skin My delicate dark brown eyes The first to go to college in my family. The first published writer. I am taking my place in history Like women who have done it before me Like all the girls like me Whose skin is as dark and beautiful as night. –Mentee Emmanuella Agyemang
In honor of Black History Month, I have written a piece that reflects on everyday reminders of slavery. I draw an unconventional parallel between my life and the experience of an enslaved woman.
A young girl born to immigrant parents trying to fit into American society. She realizes that she is uncomfortable with herself and the nation.
This poem is a love letter to myself.
My Mother’s Allegiance focuses on the essential factors that encouraged my mother to flee to America, and the assimilation and racism often present in the experiences of an immigrant.
“palatable” is a product of my experiences as a young black girl at a predominantly white school. Particularly, it’s my examination of the concept of palatability, and what it means to prepare yourself for consumption.
This piece was inspired by one of my favorite books, Between the World and Me. Everyone should read this book and these writers.
This poem is about the African diaspora and the struggles and experiences of being a Black woman.
“All Lives Matter” is a collaborative protest poem that takes both formal poetic writing techniques and a sample of an informative article to express the detriment of using the phrase, “all lives matter.”
A short story that portrays the life of a young child soldier during the Congo War.
This story pertains to a time when I confronted my mother about changing my hair.
I made this presentation because within American society, black women are at the bottom of the totem pole. Whenever we speak up to defend ourselves, we are seen as aggressive, overbearing, and too much to handle. This common approach to our struggles reinforces the denials of our pain and further pushes preconceived notions from those we’ve yet to meet. I don’t want black women to humble themselves in order to not be seen as a stereotype.
These pieces are erasures of “The Star-Spangled Banner” and “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” the national black anthem. My mentor gave me prompts to erase both of them, side by side, after noticing the differences between them.
My podcast is about many things, hence the name. I talk about many topics, from problems with social media to the lack of success of arobeats. I hope you enjoy it—you just never know what to expect with Gifty.
I believe that as a leader you can do two things: either dig people deeper into their illusions and create false hope or free them of their social standards and stereotypes to reach their fullest potential.
My piece was inspired by an article in ZORA, a publication by and for women of color, entitled “Black Women Are Driving a New R&B Resistance” by Mary Retta. Black women’s identities have been degraded for so long that in attempts to uplift us, we’re portrayed as deities instead of human.
