Acoustic shadows, Tyranny of the Skin, Village Life

Abstract

Tyranny of the Skin is a poem that speaks to the devastating impact of white supremacy, what Nigeria’s Chief Fela Sowande called, “the tyranny of skin color identification.” Acoustic Shadows is a poem about the recent school shooting in Florida. It speaks to the disconnect between the victims of the shootings and their families and the NRA gun lobby. The poem chronicles the impact of Western Europeans as conquerors. Village life is a poem that speaks to my experience waking up in the village of Atonkwa, near Elmina in Ghana’s Central Region.