Hannah L Drake is a blogger, activist, public speaker, poet, and author of 11 books. She writes commentary on politics, feminism, and race and her work has been featured online at Cosmopolitan, The Bitter Southerner, Harper’s Bazaar and Revolt TV. In 2019 during Super Bowl Sunday, Hannah’s poem, "All You Had To Do Was Play The Game, Boy," which addresses the protest by Colin Kaepernick, was shared by film writer, producer and director Ava DuVernay, and then shared by Kaepernick. The poem has been viewed more than two million times.
Hannah’s commentary on life and challenging others to dream bigger have been recognized by First Lady Michelle Obama. Hannah Drake was featured on the Tom Joyner Morning Show with Jacque Reid to discuss her international movement, Do Not Move Off the Sidewalk, which addresses the power of holding your space. Hannah was selected by the Muhammad Ali Center to be a Daughter of Greatness which features prominent women engaged in social philanthropy, activism, and pursuits of justice. Hannah was selected as one of the Best of the Best in Louisville, Kentucky for her poem Spaces and recently was honored as a Kentucky Colonel, the highest title of honor bestowed by the Kentucky Governor recognizing an individual’s noteworthy accomplishments and outstanding service to community, state, and nation. Labeled as a change agent, Hannah’s message is thought-provoking and at times challenging, but Hannah believes that it is in the uncomfortable spaces that change can take place. “My sole purpose in writing and speaking is not that I entertain you. I am trying to shake a nation.”
A few days ago on Facebook, I was tagged in a post by Rani Whitehead. Her post is below, and I have copied it in its entirety. I believe this conversation was more significant than me responding to her on Facebook and I wanted to share it with my readers so they can see two women have a conversation about race.
Did a Black man really ask Black people to put ourselves into the shoes of a White person? Are you KIDDING ME, Cory? WHAT SHOES? Shoes of privilege? Shoes of cognitive dissonance? Shoes of denying racism exist? Shoes of “just get over it?” Shoes of Make America Great Again? I don’t need to step into the shoes of White America.
In an industry that is heavily male-dominated, with labels crafting who they wanted to be the next “It Girl,” Cardi’s B carefree, no holds barred, style took the world by storm. Gone were the days of industry curated and crafted interviews. Cardi B took to social media to air her grievances, share her story, discuss her sex life, and offer a multitude of clapbacks that had us begging for more. Who else could dog walk Tomi Lahren around the world?
This month is our month! So Black people, I need your shea butter melanin skin glistening, Fenty gloss bomb poppin’, and afros, braids, wigs and weaves shining as we throw it back like we are takin’ over for the 99 and the 2000! I promise you, Black people are so amazing that when I read things about Black people, I think, “Damn Black people are so ridiculously dope! If I weren’t Black, I would be like, “Damn I wanna be Black!”
You would think that everyone in Kentucky would rejoice. What an amazing way to honor a man whose very name brings honor to the city. However, that was not the case. While many people were pleased, the comments soon popped up on social media calling into question why Muhammad Ali is worthy of this honor? Truthfully, I found the comments to be typical. It was fine honoring Ali when they could just wear a t-shirt with his image on it. It was all good as long as Ali remained the person they constructed in their heads that suited them. It’s cool as long as it’s the Ali that floats like a butterfly and stings like a bee. They love that Ali. That is the Ali that doesn’t make them uncomfortable. That is the Ali they can brag about to their drinking buddies. That is the Ali that doesn’t challenge their way of thinking. Similarly, to the whitewashed version of Martin Luther King Jr that so many have constructed and that we will read “convenient tweets” about on Monday, as long as it’s the Ali that doesn’t ruffle their feathers, there is no problem. But do not forget it was here in his hometown of Louisville where Ali was called, “the Olympic nigger,” and was denied service in a “Whites Only” restaurant after returning from the Olympic Games in Rome in 1960.
It was such a small gesture, but at that moment, it meant so much to me. It was bigger than a basketball game. It was a moment that I got to see two Black men show love, support, and brotherhood towards each other. We often see Black men portrayed in the media in a negative light and finally, the world was able to catch a glimpse of true brotherhood.
I was also reminded to tell my Black brothers, “Chin up!”
It’s funny, to this day I STILL cannot remember his last name even though he was the first person I ever slept with… 15 & 22 The funny thing…I cannot even remember his last name Me…15Him…22Me… A childHim… A grown manWith those grown man handsAnd that grown man […]
This world demands EVERYTHING from Black women and offers Black women NOTHING in return. And we are tired. We have given everything we can and then some. We have paid debts that we didn’t incur with our very lives. We have upheld our end of a bargain that was NEVER for us.
Many people do a year in review highlighting what they have accomplished for the outgoing year. I have done that before, but as I grow and change, I have decided not to highlight all the things I have accomplished or participated in, but I would instead like to […]
It was with such joy that I scrolled through Twitter this morning, to find a video of a young man that walked into KFC, thinking he is going to tell off a young woman who he alleges wrote her telephone number on a receipt and gave to his […]
