Local Voices
'I Used to Be Racist is about my life growing up in NYC pre and post-9/11. I never discriminated or judged anyone based on their religion and/or race until that tragic day and the weeks that followed. At 10-years old, I loaded up on the information being shared by the local news stations about what the terrorists looked like, and how they could be potentially lurking in various parts of the city. After moving to Ohio, I experienced racism for the first time, which opened my eyes on my own ignorance. Eventually, I became brave enough to encounter the "enemy."
“If It Heals At All defines personal moments that conjure reincarnations of straightforward sensibility with language that names, ‘my black is a heartbeat.’ Ali Black dares metaphors to not get it twisted as she creates a universe fresh with imagery that paints the audacity of reclaimed narratives with such brilliance as ‘mouth as a disorder.’
This collection is searing poetry that will not allow us to forget the unknown grief buried inside of boundless pleasure. If It Heals At All traces the slim boundaries between life and death, blundered justice, and the boldness of Black love reimagined.” - Jaki Shelton Green
