There is a moment that made you realize that
the colour of your skin has given you an identity. You are not just Canadian, or Haitian Canadian, Nigerian Canadian and so forth – you are Black. Blackness is a mental space. Blackness is
a geographical location. Blackness is history. Blackness is a societal construct that identifies “others”. It can alienate or bring together. Blackness is home. Blackness is being a foreigner. Blackness is racism. Blackness is jollof rice and Jamaican patties. Blackness is police carding.

What does being Black mean to you?

This is a submission call for I AM BLACK, a collection of poems that seeks to celebrate and tell stories that explore Blackness. The anthology will be published in the fall by Daraja Press, an Afrocentric publisher based in Ottawa.

Editor

The anthology will be edited by Esther Karin Mngodo, an award-winning Tanzanian poet, journalist and editor who has lived in Canada since 2017. She writes in English and Swahili, her native language.

Eligibility

People of all ages, who identify as Black, who are Canadians or reside in Canada are encouraged to participate.

Each participant can submit up to three poems.

Work submitted must not have been previously published (excluding self-published work).

There is no entry fee.

How to Enter

Please email your submission and a short biography to: [email protected]

Date

Submissions will be accepted from Saturday
18 April until midnight on Saturday 18 July 2020.