Born Remembering

By DuEwa M. Frazier

I was born

born in the

heart of my

father’s djembe

drum

my first cry

came in the form

of Black power

drums of freedom

songs

songs

heard across

miles from

Brooklyn to

Oakland

from Oakland

to Memphis

from Memphis

to Atlanta

from Atlanta

to D.C. from

D.C. to

Philly

and the rhythm

of me when I was

born

pure conjure

like Dunham dance

or red and orange

ladies from Colored Girls

the curls in my hair

were tangled

tangles that formed

words saying

Niggaaas Are Scaaared

did you hear me?

saying Niggaaas Are

Scaaared of Rev-o-lu-tion

as my mother

held me closely

reading the phrase

in my hair

she hummed tunes

in my ear

covering me

in red, black and green

crocheted blanket

she hummed Bird

she really hummed Bird

and Alice

and Nina

and cried

while mumbling

something like

‘please baby

be a voice for the

culture, please

baby be a voice

for the culture,

please baby be

a voice for the

culture’

I squirmed

then raised up

my right hand

in a fist

and nodded

‘yes’

posted 2003

Her first two names, mean Black Beauty-The One In Whom the Sun Rises in the African, Swahili language. Although raised in St. Louis, Missouri, her life didn't begin there!

Born in Brooklyn, New York on a hot, August morning, to educator/artist/activist parents, in the same year poet and playwright Ntozake Shange launched the acclaimed "For Colored Girls" play- DuEwa seemed destined to take part in the rich tradition of arts and pride from her community and share her creative spirit with others.

Poetry, dramatic performance, dance, playwriting and teaching is a part of the creative world DuEwa lives in. At age 5, this ,'Lady of Words', first stepped on stage, playing activist Rosa Parks in a play called "We Shall Overcome." In grade school DuEwa began keeping journals and writing creatively.

DuEwa took dance training in jazz, modern and African forms as a child and adult. Her most memorable dance performance and training experiences were at: The Katherine Dunham School of Dance, Elegba Folklore Society, Dance St. Louis and as a dancer in high school in Kinesis Dance Company.

Other Books: Check the Rhyme and Stardust Tracks on the Road  / duewa_frazier@litnoirepublishing.com