The Museum of The African Diaspora mentions the four major themes of the African Diaspora as:
origins-(Our origins are in Africa two million years ago. As we move, adapt and transform, new origins take root and the cycle continues.)
movement-(Individuals, families and communities move continuously, sometimes seeking fresh prospects, sometimes forced by slavery, war or famine. Always, our movements reinvent us, remixing the possibilities.),
adaptation-(People and cultures evolve as the traditions and memories we carry with us creatively engage new surroundings and other cultures.)
transformation-(We transform ourselves in dialogue with new places, creating new traditions and new cultures. We carry the seeds of creativity that can transform adversity into hope.)
(definitions courtesy of MOAD).
In the next four weeks we will look at the poems of writers who have used these themes, discuss how they have used them to shape the meaning in their poems, and attempt to write our own poems under these themes.
It only makes sense for us to start with the theme of origins. For some of us that would mean the land, for others, parents, or even emotion.
The first poem I’d like to share with you can be found on the MOAD site and is by Trina Michelle Robinson, entitled AFRICA:She. Take a moment and read her poem, listen to the recording as well. And then, write your own. Be brave with this theme, be open, be accepting.
SHARE your poems on this site, please do so by presenting a link on the comment section of this writing prompt. If you use another form of inspiration please feel free to share the links to those as well.
DON’T FORGET TO SHARE BY SUN MAY 9TH (MOTHER’S DAY).
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.
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