for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf by Ntozake Shange

Way back in the 1970s, Ntozake Shange wrote poetry that evoked both the powerlessness and the power of women of color. She wrote about women being beaten down and used by men, the system, each other…But she also wrote about strong characters who stood their ground, who overcame obstacles, and who spoke up when someone needed to speak. Shange compiled some of her works into a performance--a choreopoem--and it morphed into a dramatic work that has been produced hundreds of times since it was first performed in 1975. It's certainly still very applicable today.

I read a version of the choreopoem published in 2010, so it had an excellent introduction by Shange about the conception, history, meaning, and criticisms of the piece. I think that introduction, more than anything, made this such a moving work of art.

These are poems that are meant to be performed in an ensemble. An ensemble of women of color. So for me to read them solo…I just didn't get the full impact, I know I didn't. But I could imagine how powerful the performance would be if I was seeing it live.

And she may say that it's written "for colored girls…for women of color," but I don't think she would dispute the fact that the poem/poems are meaningful to all women, and hopefully to men, too. This is their truth. If you aren't moved by reading this book or watching the performance, you aren't acknowledging that your truth is not the only truth.

~8/10~