“…confusion and doubt in the soul of the black artist; for the beauty revealed to him was the soul-beauty of a race which his larger audience despised, and he could not articulate the message of another people.” (DuBois, 1897)
I am thinking about
My students
A student
Gifted in profound ways
Searching for her voice
Her place
Her look
In a crowded room
Where
Her
Soul
Beauty
Song
Picture
Story
IS NOT
Celebrated.
Where gaze becomes admiration
Joy
And
LOVE
Principled
Ethical
Accepted
Like blue Skais
Welcoming Blackness
Before rain.
A new day lies on the other side for you.
Joy Barnes-Johnson, Ph.D. 