Category Archives: Black Arts

August Wilson and Ferguson

Posted on November 30, 2014 by Ayodele Nzinga, MFA, PhD

Wilson noted: “I think my plays offer (white Americans) a different way to look at black Americans,” he told The Paris Review. “For instance, in ‘Fences’ they see a garbageman, a person they don’t really look at, although they see … Continue reading →

Posted in August Wilson, Black Arts, non fiction essay, North American African Perspective, Performing Arts | Tagged , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

spider woman and twin war Godz

Posted on November 5, 2014 by Ayodele Nzinga, MFA, PhD

    riding with spider woman and twin war Godz born into a state of war divined to be she who remembers shield carrier spear chucker hard to duck her up right in storm moving forward like water persistently efficient … Continue reading →

Posted in Black Arts, North American African Perspective, Poetry, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

lynching tree memoy

Posted on October 18, 2014 by Ayodele Nzinga, MFA, PhD

there are things I can never do i do not take certain things for granted no rose garden only grey tinted glasses blessed with memory too many people afraid to remember least the scars come open pus all over the … Continue reading →

Posted in Black Arts, North American African Perspective | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The American Century Cycle

Posted on October 12, 2014 by Ayodele Nzinga, MFA, PhD

I am often asked why August Wilson? Why did I decide to direct the American Century Cycle? I am producing the America’s greatest playwright’s seminal work in its entirety. I will be the first director to do so in chronological … Continue reading →

Posted in August Wilson, Black Arts, Life., non fiction essay, North American African Perspective, work in progress | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Bleaching Cream Blues

Posted on October 12, 2014 by Ayodele Nzinga, MFA, PhD

  early in the morning before the world puts on its face she stands in front of the mirror pinching this poking that pulling on the other she turns slowly counting the ways in which she is not enough too … Continue reading →

Posted in Black Arts, Poetry, spokenword | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Visible

Posted on October 10, 2014 by Ayodele Nzinga, MFA, PhD

its not the hoodies or the skittles BART rides not the wallet he pulled out or the comb the cell phone not the toy gun or the raised empty hands perhaps its the kiss of melanin the brown black velvet-ness … Continue reading →

Posted in Black Arts, North American African Perspective, Poetry, spokenword | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Cotton’s Memory

Posted on October 9, 2014 by Ayodele Nzinga, MFA, PhD

cotton has a memory dreams that never went away a land of cotton with a memory held close like lovers mementos whispered quietly  in board rooms that smell of linen & avarice living quiet lives at the dinner parties of … Continue reading →

Posted in Black Arts, Poetry, spokenword | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Phenomenology

Posted on October 8, 2014 by Ayodele Nzinga, MFA, PhD

it is not your imagination its reality invisible unspoken really real for black & brown bodies housed in bruised lives it is an immutable truth bearing down ruthlessly on a harsh reality measured by any standard its not an individual … Continue reading →

Posted in Black Arts, North American African Perspective, spokenword | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Prayers for Peace

Posted on September 29, 2014 by Ayodele Nzinga, MFA, PhD

trust in righteous love but tie your camel I pray for peace as I sharpen swords my prayers have only known times of war I pray for peace as I protect my weapons my love for peace no ladder for … Continue reading →

Posted in Black Arts, Poetry | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Death of Innocence

Posted on September 20, 2014 by Ayodele Nzinga, MFA, PhD

the innocence that wrote love poems and captured beauty like life could be kept fire-flied in a bottle fled slowly/ leaving pragmatism on the dresser in a shade of clouded jade there is little to say of love or beauty … Continue reading →

Posted in Black Arts, North American African Perspective, Poetry, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment