“Lineage”
My grandmothers were strong.
They followed plows and bent to toil.
They moved through fields sowing seed.
They touched earth and grain grew.
They were full of sturdiness and singing.
My grandmothers were strong.
My grandmothers were full of memories
Smelling of soap and onions and wet clay
With veins rolling roughly over quick hands
They have many clean words to say.
My grandmothers were strong.
Why am I not as they?
Margaret Walker provided an authentic voice for African-Americans through her poetry, essays, and her novel, Jubilee. However, as Walker asserted, readers of all races can be impacted by her stories of resilience.
Today Margaret Walker would have celebrated her 98th birthday.
The Jubilee begins today at 11:30 at Ayer Hall at JSU.
Photo Source: The Margaret Walker Center, Archive and Museum of the African-American Experience at Jackson State University
Comments are closed.