In celebration of Black History Month and the centennial anniversary of Dudley Randall\u2019s birth, I have been invited to share with you some of Randall\u2019s poetry and history.<\/p>\n
Dudley Randall is equally respected for his roles as poet and as the founder of Broadside Press.<\/p>\n
At a time in U.S. history when few mainstream presses would publish the work of African American poets, Broadside made the poetry of seminal African American authors such as Gwendolyn Brooks, Etheridge Knight, Audre Lorde, Haki Madhubuti, and Sonia Sanchez available to readers throughout the world.<\/p>\n
Broadside Press has continued this work for 49 years now, just as it has continued to promote Randall\u2019s vision of the written word as a living art form intimately connected to community and to self-determination.<\/p>\n
Below is \u201cA Different Image,\u201d one of Dudley Randall\u2019s signature poems. In it he asks us to re-image and, thus, re-imagine these connections.<\/p>\n
I look forward to sharing more of Randall\u2019s work and legacy with you in the coming weeks.<\/p>\n
Rosemary Weatherston
\nDirector, Dudley Randall Center for Print Culture<\/p>\n
\u201cA Different Image\u201d<\/p>\n
The age
\nrequires this task:
\ncreate
\na different image;
\nre-animate
\nthe mask.<\/p>\n
Shatter the icons of slavery and fear.
\nReplace
\nthe leer
\nof the minstrel’s burnt-cork face
\nwith a proud, serene
\nand classic bronze of Benin.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
In celebration of Black History Month and the centennial anniversary of Dudley Randall\u2019s birth, I have been invited to share with you some of Randall\u2019s poetry and history. Dudley Randall is equally respected for his roles as poet and as … Continue reading