All Livesdon’t get foundhungon four different occasionsfrom treesin 2020 Americaand ruled a suicide All Livesdon’t utter the wordsI can’t breatheover their last breathwhile in police custody All Livesare not handcuffedby blue uniformsand shotdeadexecution stylein front of witnesses All Livesare notshot deadwhile sleepingin their car All Livesare not killedfor taking shortcuts homearmedwith a sandwichor an iced […]
When it happenedthere was no Negroatop of blazing saddlepreceded by smoking dust cloudsfrom burnt trail.The wind carried no screams of the decree. The war had been over three years.I was about seventeenwhen freedoms fingerstugged my ear. In droves they wandered streetsdancing and singing“Weeze FREE now,”but the daywas hollow asVictory’s bloodied headresting upon shoulder of Future […]
They say If it’s not on FacebookIt didn’t happenEven though I am not seeing itI’m pretty sure it’s happening We keep sayingNever againUntil the next hash tagDigitally memorializesThe next Black nameSlainBy blue bullets I can’t watch another videoWe shouldn’t have to hash tagAnother fatherHashtag daughterHashtag love one And they don’t get itThey say shit likeWhat […]
For the record, I am not a fan of Black History Month. There’s inequality in the way we talk about the contributions of black people and white people in American History, and that’s a continuing factor in the racial separation plaguing the country. Black people are intricately entwined in the creation of America. One can […]
I honestly don’t know What patriotism Is But I know What patriotism is not 1 I know that patriotism Is not Wilmer Josue Ramirez Vasquez Apprehended At 2 and a half years old Committing the crime Of seeking asylum In the land of the free Sentenced to death At the US-Mexican border hospital In El […]
It’s 2019, and we are discussing Virginia Governor Ralph Northam’s alleged yearbook photo in blackface. It wasn’t too long ago we Rhode Islanders were divided on the topic of twin brothers using “skin darkening” makeup to impersonate black stars in their annual Christmas season performance. They used endorsed letters from said stars to defend their position […]
Yes, Rosanne’s show had to go. “It is the ultimate presumption of #WhitePrivilege when you think you can call a black woman an ape… When it’s a black woman that signs your checks.” – Star Jones It wasn’t long ago that Serena Williams adorned the cover of Sports Illustrated in the buff. A hurricane of comments came […]
Christopher Johnson (Motif): How long you have been in Rhode Island and what are some of your past projects you have worked on? Tina Cane: I moved to Rhode Island 13 years ago, after having worked for many years in NYC as a teacher and visiting writer. My first project in Rhode Island came through the library […]
Always looking to widen the breadth of Rhode Islanders’ experience, FUNDA Fest returns for the 20th year, promising an exciting marriage between local and not-so-local artists. I spoke with Valerie Tutson, Rhode Island Black Storytellers’ creative director and FUNDA Fest creator, and there is good reason for the buzz. “I’m excited in all the ways we are making […]
It has been exactly one year since I wrote my piece “Walking While Black.” Yesterday I watched the Unite the Alt-Right rally on a live Facebook feed and saw a car plow through a crowd of anti-protestors. America is at odds with herself over Colin Kaepernick not being signed to an NFL team over his silent […]
