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Ntozake
Shange
Biography
Two Ntozake Shange
Poems
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I am Ntozake Shange.
I named myself in the African language called Zulu.
Ntozake: "She who comes with her own things."
I am prepared self-reliant independent.
Shange: "She who walks with lions."
I have great courage strength wisdom.
When I was a child, I had exciting adventures.
I traveled to many places.
Mexico Haiti Cuba Europe.
I listened to music
Read books
Watched dancers
Argued with scholars.
Now, I am a woman with many talents.
I create poems, stories, plays, characters, dances.
I create poems about Black women which help us grow strong.
I create stories about Black women which make our daydreams as real
as life.
I create plays about Black women
which tell histories of our pleasure and pain
struggle and triumph
joy and anger
fear and strength.
I create dances about Black women
whose rhythms remind us of our African roots.
When I create poems, stories, plays, characters and dances
Hear the voices of
Black women.
See the beauty of
Black women.
Taste the sweat of
Black women.
Feel the strength of
Black women.
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IN OUR OWN VOICES
