All posts tagged: Black History Month

Creative Close-Up: Poets.org Presents 12 Poems for Black History Month

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February 26 /18 Good Morning all! The last weekend of this month has passed. Before this month is out, I still have some creative works for Black History Month. Found twelve poems by African-American poets from the website poets.org. They asked twelve contemporary black poets from Tyehlmba Jess, Rowan Ricardo Phillips, to Toi Derricotte to choose one poem to read in the month of February and why. Here are those twelve poems from Gwendolyn Brooks to Langston Hughes. Credit source: poets.org     We Real Cool Gwendolyn Brooks,  1917 – 2000 THE POOL PLAYERS. SEVEN AT THE GOLDEN SHOVEL. We real cool. We Left school. We Lurk late. We Strike straight. We Sing sin. We Thin gin. We Jazz June. We Die soon. From The Bean Eaters by Gwendolyn Brooks, published by Harpers. © 1960 by Gwendolyn Brooks. Used with permission. All rights reserved.     won’t you celebrate with me Lucille Clifton, 1936 – 2010 won’t you celebrate with me what i have shaped into a kind of life? i had no model. born in babylon both nonwhite and woman what …

Shadow Spotlight: Three Black Contemporary Artists Already Rising

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February 12 / 18 Hey! Hope everyone had a great weekend. A new week is beginning so let’s start off with Shadow Spotlight. Black History Month is here and this month we are going to be putting the spotlight on Black Contemporary Artists that have been on the rise. Again, I rather let the work do the talking…   Nathaniel Mary Quinn Here is a guy that went through a lot, but that didn’t stop him to achieve the goals he wanted to reach in life. In this interview below, Quinn talks about how his family abandoned him and how he was able to accomplish success in his art career. The works you see reflect that. There is another part of this interview. To see more of his work, go to http://www.artsy.net/artist/nathaniel-mary-quinn.         Shantell Martin Known for her whimsical stream of consciousness drawing and light perfections, this British artist has already made a mark in the art world.  She’s been plenty busy with projects all around the world. I’ve featured her on this …

Black History Focus: Octavia Butler

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February 6 / 18 Morning everybody! As I’ve stated, Shadowboxerinc is celebrating Black History Month by putting together a collective group of people who have put a creative mark. Today we have the late Octavia Butler. I discovered her works sometime last year. Now I’m beginning to know a bit more about this legendary gem of a storyteller. Here is a small snippet from Goodreads about this writer… Octavia Estelle Butler was an American science fiction writer, one of the best-known among the few African-American women in the field. She won both Hugo and Nebula awards. In 1995, she became the first science fiction writer to receive the MacArthur Foundation “Genius” Grant. To Kindred, Fledgling, the Xenogenesis trilogy, Parable of the Sower, and the short story collection Bloodchild and Other Stories, Ms. Butler has left an incredible mark in science fiction. Found a video of Ms. Butler on Charlie Rose published on YouTube nine years ago. It was a great and interesting interview. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Want to know more about …

Editor’s Note February 2018

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February 1 / 18 Vol 6 / #2 Hello February! This month will be busy. We’ll be focusing on in the creativity of love and let’s not forget…it’s Black History Month so you’ll see creativity in African-American culture. It will be a packed filled fun month! Association of Writer’s & Writers Conference & Bookfair 2018 will be here soon, so I’m already on the look out for this event, also trying to find out about any updates for the AWP Conference & Bookfair, then Artexpo New York, photography contests, and a lot more. This month is slightly short with new music. Justin Timberlake‘s smoking new album, Man of the Woods will arrive tomorrow, along with Simple Minds, and Son Lux. It’s a short month for music festivals in the US. Monsters of Rock Cruise 2018 and Noise Pop 2018 are on the list. Since this month is Black History Month, why not put the focus on upcoming African-American artists for this month’s Shadow Spotlight? @ the Event is continuing its tour through the state of …

Shadow Spotlight: Pat McGrath

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Feb. 13 / 17 Hey there! A new week and there is a lot to cover, so let’s get started. Pat McGrath is this month’s Shadow Spotlight and perfect for Black History Month in fashion. Vogue magazine has called this makeup guru the most influential makeup artist in the world and she deserves that right. Born in Northampton, England to a Jamaican immigrant mother, McGrath always had a love for fashion and makeup. That credit goes to her mom. Known for her colorful and out of this world makeup looks, McGrath is the one designers call for when fashion week comes. McGrath had no formal training in either fashion or make-up. The closest to training was the completion of an art foundation course at a college in Northampton. In the early 1990’s her career breakthrough came when she worked with then fashion editor of i-D magazine, Edward Enninful. She has worked with photographers such as Steven Meisel, Paolo Roversi, Helmut Newton, and Peter Lindbergh. Designers such as Prada, Miu Miu, Comme des Garcons, Dolce & Gabbana, Jil Sander, John …

Black History in Literature….Magdala Compere

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Feb. 6 / 17 In honor of Black History Month, Shadowbox will feature all forms of creativity from the minds of past, present, and future African-Americans, who continue to inspire us.   The Color Black (Black Pride) by Magdala Compere As I was looking for a poem to show my pride I saw some things that made my black skin want to hide They take the proud color of black and turn it into lies With the junk that fills our people’s minds Black is the color of blindness In which my dark path seems Black is the color of darkness In which I may not see Black is the color of a blood sucking crow And it is a color most people don’t know Black is a color of an evil panther And that’s the color of my ancestors Black is the color of coal A substance that is worth as much as gold Black is the color of the night In it I see the stars to bright Black is the color of power …

Reflections: Keeping Black History Alive

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February 26 / 16  Hello! February is winding down and it’s time to reflect. I’ve decided to this with poems. Poems always reflect what the poet is saying. They are writing from a place of experience, a place of pure emotions and letting the reader know their story. I think I’ve said this before, this generation and the next generation need to know what our ancestors went through for us. How we are able to vote, to speak, to get the best education, the jobs…..we have our ancestors to thank for that and I want future generations to see that as well. Here a few poems to reflect on Black History….enjoy your Friday and be blessed.   On Liberty and Slavery BY GEORGE MOSES HORTON Alas! and am I born for this,    To wear this slavish chain? Deprived of all created bliss,    Through hardship, toil and pain! How long have I in bondage lain,    And languished to be free! Alas! and must I still complain—    Deprived of liberty. Oh, Heaven! and is there no relief …

Celebrating Black History Month / Music: A Look in the Present

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February 22 / 16 Hello! We’re now into the final leg of celebrating Black History Month. We’re getting into Music, but I’m not looking to the past, I’m looking in the present, those that are getting our attention now. Here are a few that have already or about to break into the music scene….   Anderson Paak Janelle Monae Johnny Rain Lianne La Havas Kenzie May http://www.andersonpaak.com http://www.jmonae.com (site may be hacked…) odrepublic.com http://www.liannelahavas.com http://www.kenziemay.com You can find their music on iTunes, Spotify, Tidal, and other music stream services. I hope you enjoyed their music as much I did listen and putting this post together. Enjoy the rest of your Monday, be blessed! photo cred: glenford nunez for pitchfork.com, billboard.com, feministing.com, hotnewhiphop.com, nonesuch.com and afropunk.com