“If the words are pretty but they don’t fit right inside of you, then it’s not the piece that you should be writing… Only write things that are true to you.” – Jaha Bella, 17
With a pen graced with cocoa butter, abundant metaphors and a genuine raw soul, Tia’s words and wisdom of self supersede her years, and we cannot wait what will come from her this season as she trains represents Team Atlanta at Brave New Voices in July.
So, this fancy-shmancy, whitey-ditey musuem stuck its only black exhibit in the basement.
Look in the mirror, how lovely you are
You take the time in perfecting your nature
Seeing not even a scratch or a scar
Your bright eyes show signs that you’re now mature
Kate’s Club teens speak up about their grief journey.
I go up to the stage
My hands are clamming and my heart is thumping loudly against my ear drum
I keep my mouth closed by biting my bottom lip,
Anticipating the judge’s first word …
A Wednesday night, during a dinner date with procrastination
Scrolling through YouTube aimlessly when a Buzzfeed video
in my recommended reads, “People Try Kylie Jenner’s Ramen.”
this is addressed to the grown man who rolled down the window of his beat up 2004 impala upon seeing me jog down atlanta road to yell,
“Damn shawty! Who you tryna get fine for?”
Dear Self, When you stand in front of a mirror, your hands slide over your skin. Your fingernails never dig into your flesh, but make no mistake. You have never been gentle, and you spend this time ripping yourself apart. You pinch at your belly, and watch until the red marks of your fingers fade […]
Ladies and Gentlemen! Children of all ages! Welcome to the African-American Freakshow! Where you learn my African-not-“American” name, Ogechi And you pause… then you then you utter “Oh, it’s a beautiful name” But, your eyes tell lies and your beauty is just a white/polite way of saying bizarre, weird, odd But I forgot, this […]