Angie Stone
Introduction:
Since the first Black woman was brought to the "New World" on a slave ship,four hundred years ago, she has been stripped of her inherent right to be the beautiful creation that God intended her to be. Below, you will find poems that will help rebuild her self-esteem so that sisters can be recognized for the beautiful, powerful, yet, fragile creations that we are. Remember to handle her with care, and never let a sister feel "unpretty."
Like Black Women Love by Yvonne
Black Woman by the Ebony Poet
The Black Woman by Tony B. Conscious
Only a Black Woman by Author Unknown
The Black Woman by Gerren Liles
For Colored Girls Excerpt by Ntozake Shange
For My Sistahs by Jewel Diamond Taylor
Like Black Women Love
Wait.
Wait.
Black,
Captured and beaten,
In the fields all day,
I saw you till the soil,
They bred you like horses,
In times of jim crow you shouldered the weight,
You brought God inside,
You taught me to read
Andrew Johnson
THE BLACK WOMAN
From the sands of EGYPT you rose
The CREATOR made you for a reason
It is you and only your power
So stand up BLACK WOMAN
GET YOUR MIND TOGETHER
Dance those dances, chant those chants
By: TONY B. CONSCIOUS
To order these prints visit October Galleries
ONLY A BLACK WOMAN
Can take a week of left over scraps and make a gourmet meal
ONLY A BLACK WOMAN
Can wear the hell out of spandex
ONLY A BLACK WOMAN
Can put a Black man and his non-Black date on pins and needles just by walking into the room.
ONLY A BLACK WOMAN Can make other women want to pay plastic surgeons top $$$ for physical features she was already born with. ONLY A BLACK WOMAN can be the mother of civilization.
Author unknown
Top
© 1998 Gerren Liles
dark phases of womanhood
this must be the spook house
are we ghouls?
don't tell nobody
i can't hear anythin
FOR MY SISTAHS
I'm gonna love you
like black women love their children.
Gonna dig way down,
call upon the history
my fore-sisters built,
fill you up with wonderful,
nurse your self esteem
in the arch of my back.
When you are low,
I'll refresh your spirit
with tales drawn from the well
of my momma's childhood memories.
I'm gonna love you like black women
love their men. Thick-lipped words
of encouragement will breathe icy cold
on heated epitaphs of venom-laced hatred.
My over-stuffed hips cache a resevoir
of strength. Like grandma's
hands I'll knead your worn-out pride
with kindred understanding.
I'm gonna love you like the whores
of masters loved the light of day.
I'm gonna love you
like black women love themselves:
without reservation; strong.
And strong,
Different words,
Same meaning.
She is a strong black woman.
Tied and bound,
You endured the Middle Passage,
Was dragged into a new land,
You held your head high.
You are a strong black woman.
Hot, blazing sun beating down,
They stripped away your language,
They took your clothing and made you look like a slave,
But you never bowed,
You are a strong black woman.
Bend your back to make things grow,
Saw you cooking food,
That you could not even eat,
Saw you washing clothes,
Mending shirts,
Growing flowers to adorn the house you could not sleep in.
And not once did you shed a tear,
You are a strong black woman.
And sold your children like they were dogs,
They took them away in chains,
While you stood screaming,
And then you prayed to God,
Because you are a strong black woman.
Brought food home when I could not even work,
Borne the children,
Cleaned the house,
And raised my children.
A strong black woman.
So we could talk,
About our toils and pain,
You sat Him there and He listened,
And gave us relief,
We marched for freedom,
And you were at my side.
Went to jail when I did,
Stayed awake and held me in your lap.
You comforted my every fear,
Gave me courage when I had none.
Washed my face with the hem of your dress,
Cleansed the matter from my eyes so I could see,
Prayed for me when I did not for my self.
You are a strong black woman.
You taught me to write,
How to eat with a fork,
How to tie my tie,
You taught me grace and kindness,
You taught me how to treat my fellow man,
You found the goodness in my heart,
And nurtured it and made it grow.
For all you`ve done I can never repay,
Nor can I do the same for you,
And despite all of that... you smile at me,
And pull me to your bosom for love,
I thank God for you,
And that you are a strong black woman.
Ebony Poet
(c)copyright 1/26/98
Coffee and carmel coated
From your head to your toes
Made of mud with perfect curvatures
No need for clothes
Naturally strong hair
Full lips and nose
And you were made FIRST
As a guardian of this planet
To watch over the Universe
To be in touch with nature
To, at times, exercise your wrath
Lying your head in Ethiopia
While in the Nile, taking a bath
Plus strength alone
That can bring order to this planet
And make a many atone
Shake the shackles from your mind
Wash the process from your hair
For, that's not what makes you fine
You need not powder your face
Nor place fake nails upon your hands
There's no need to dress in skimpy outfits
For, that pleases not , the TRUE BLACK MAN
STAND TALL, FIERCE AND PROUD
REBUKE THE COLONIZER AND HIS WAYS
LIFT YOUR HEAD UP TO THE CLOUDS
Let your eyes fill with that gleam
Bring justice to your Ancestors souls
Who fought so hard against the so-called "AMERICAN DREAM"
And together me and you, side by side
Shall put an end to all the chaos and start winning
By re-aligning ourselves with nature and the animals
Just as we were in the very beginning...
©1998 Conscious Enterprises
Can cuss a man out, then make love to him that night and make him feel like a king.
Can wear a burgundy french roll, 3 inch heels and a split up her thigh to work and make it look professional
Can raise a doctor, a world class athlete and an A+ student in an environment deemed by society as dysfunctional, broken underprivileged And disenfranchised.
Can heat a whole house in the winter without help from the gas company.
Can go from the boardroom to the block and "keep it real" in both places.
Can slap the taste out of your mouth.
Can live below poverty level and yet set fashion trends
Can fight two struggles everyday and make it look easy
Can make a child happy on Christmas day even if he didn't get a thing
Can be admired and fantasized about by men of other races
Can be 75 years old and look 45.
Serena Williams
What could I possibly say
that can capture the essence of a black woman?
the fact is there are no words that can describe
the feelin' when you're in vibe
with a sister that is strivin' to be
all that she could be
looking at history,
it was the black woman that pulled us through
centuries of strife often sacrificing her own life
for the welfare of generations to come
never to be undone by the tribulations she faced
the Black Woman, much love to you,
the backbone of our race you know,
sometimes when I walk across campus I have to stop,
and lift my hands up to Jesus and say "Thank Ya'!"
for puttin' melanin in my skin
cause' I can't begin to tell you How these anorexic,
rice-cake eatin', slim-fast sippin'
maybe-she's-born-with-it
make sure you get my good side come on...
Vogue runway walkers just won't do
because there's something about the way that you walk
and the way that you talk that's phenomenal
and it's a blessing how men will submit themselves
when the RIGHT ONE comes along
one who is strong and persevering,
yet gentle and caring
loves her man,
but doesn't need him to define her
has a mind of her own and knows how to use it
when I see a sistah like that for real, I lose it
(but I gotta play it cool, cause' I'm a man, you know what I'm saying?)
She could rock the natural locks
steal the show with a nappy fro
take it to the max with no lye relaxer
or let the weave fall to her knees
as long as she's pleased with who she is
then other jealous women can mind their biz
because a true black woman is who she aspires to be
and reflects those that represent the epitome of our ancestry
like Terry and Oprah,
Maya and Rose,
Harriet and Nikki,
Sojourner and Sonia,
Lauryn Hill killing us softly with her musical tracks,
Angela Bassett 'bout to tell us how Stella got her groove back
I could give a hundred names, but they all result in the same
magnificent being that has survived
and blossomed throughout the tests of time
the Black Woman
the light of the world
may your spirits continue to shine....
"FOR COLORED GIRLS...": Act One Scene One
of never havin been a girl
half notes scattered
over a black girl's shoulder
it's funny/it's hysterical
the melody-less-ness of her dance
don't tell nobody
don't tell a soul
she's dancin on beer cans & shingles
another song with no singers
lyrics/no voices
& interrupted solos
unseen performances
children of horror?
the joke?
don't tell a soul
are we animals?
have we gone crazy?
but maddening screams
& the soft strains of death
& you promised me
you promised me...
somebody/anybody
sing a black girl's song
bring her out
to know herself
to know you
but sing her rhythms
carin/struggle/hard times
sing her song of life
she's been dead so long
closed in silence so long
she doesn't know the sound
of her own voice
her infinate beauty
she's half-notes scattered
without rhythm/no tune
sing her sighs
sing the song of her possibilities
sing a righteous gospel
let her be born
let her be born
& handled warmly.
© Ntozake Shange
Artist: WAN
In a round table discussion about whether reincarnation was really possible,
a financially struggling single woman said, " I want to come back as a rich white woman's poodle that's pampered and rides around all day in her luxury car."
A tired waitress said, " I want to come back rich and make a lot of money and be mega-super recording star."
The frustrated computer technician said, "If I can come back, I want to be the President, so I can change a lot of things about this world near and far"
I sat and thought about it. I said, " I don't know if it's possible.... but if I can..... Lord, please let me come back a Black Woman!