Hannah Drake offers a powerful, inspirational message that has been heard in various arenas around the world. Hannah has had the distinguished privilege of opening for political and social justice activist, Angela Davis, National Book Award Winner and poet, Nikky Finney, author and motivational speaker, Iyanla Vanzant, honorable judge and TV personality, Judge Gregory Mathis, and rapper and music producer, BIG K.R.I.T. Hannah has served as a presenter at Ideas Festival at WKU and in Louisville, KY as a panelist with CNN chief national correspondent, John King. In April 2017, Hannah had the honor of curating an evening of performance artists for the Festival of Faiths entitled Compassion Rising which reflected how arts could have an impact on the compassion. In November 2017, Hannah’s poem Spaces was selected by the National Academy of Medicine to be featured in a national art exhibit that speaks to visualizing health equity. Also, Hannah was chosen as a 2017 Hadley Creatives, a partnership between the Community Foundation of Louisville and Creative Capital to help local artists build their professional practice, cultivate an expanded peer network and dedicate time for reflection and planning. In December 2017 Hannah was honored for her work by the Kentucky Alliance of Against Racist and Political Repression.
In 2014, she joined Roots and Wings, a dynamic group of artists that seek to bring social change to their community. In 2015 and 2016, Hannah Drake, along with the members of Roots and Wings were able to perform their written plays, The West End Poetry Opera and The Blood Always Returns, at the Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts.
“Always leave crumbs & footprints detailing your greatness for those that are coming behind you.”
In 2016, Hannah’s poem Formation poem went viral being shared over 20,000 times around the world. A lover of writing and social justice, Hannah’s new blog offers commentary on current events and has been viewed around the world. Hannah’s work is filled with passion and truth, believing that communication is indeed the beginning of change. Hannah is the author of several works of poetry, Hannah‘s Plea-Poetry for the Soul, Anticipation, Life Lived In Color, In Spite of My Chains, For Such A Time As This and So Many Things I Want to Tell You-Life Lessons for the Journey. Her debut novel Views from the Back Pew was received with stellar reviews and was performed on stage to a sold-out audience. Her follow-up novel, Fragile Destiny has been hailed as life-changing. Currently, Hannah is working on a new collection of poetry and life lessons, entitled Love, Revolution, and Lemonade. Her powerful, honest delivery has garnered her the nickname, "Brimstone." More information about Hannah can be found at her website www.hannahldrake.com.
I scrolled through my Twitter feed and I saw the headline 15-year-old killed by police. I paused as I felt the lump grow in my throat as I wrestled with my emotions. 15. The number echoed in brain like I was screaming it in a valley. Screaming and […]
Oh, joy. Another day and another White columnist telling Black people about themselves. First it was Beyonce and how she has set the bar too high for pregnant women and now it is how much money should be “enough” for Black people. Beyoncé can’t even enjoy her pregnancy […]
This week on the anniversary of Lemonade, Beyonce announced her new initiative the Formation Scholars designed to (as stated on Beyonce.com), “encourage and support young women who are unafraid to think outside the box and are bold, creative, conscious and confident. Four scholarships will be awarded, one per […]
Dear “Woke” Black People, It is inevitable when a current event issue comes across my social media feed or a “fun” internet challenge, there will be several “woke” members of the Black community that will let us know that we are not allowed to think about anything but […]
It was a love story that rivaled the best of Hollywood movies. Young up and coming African American Columbia graduate, president of the Harvard Law Review and community organizer meets Princeton and Harvard graduate lawyer from the Southside of Chicago, and they fall in love. Barack & Michelle […]
It is ironic that I write this blog on the evening that HBO is debuting the made for television movie about Henrietta Lacks, an African-American woman who, while being treated for cervical cancer, had her cells stolen to create the HeLa cell lines. While most cells eventually stop […]
A recent article published by the Washington Post declared, “Racism motivated Trump voters more than authoritarianism.” Another article published by The Nation reported, “Fear of Diversity Made People More Likely to Vote Trump.” And in other groundbreaking news, water is wet, fire is hot, ice is cold, the […]
Dear (some) White people for the love of Martin, Malcolm, Rosa, and Harriet do us a favor, and please stop comparing yourself and other people that are not Black to Black Civil Rights Leaders. You would have to be living under a rock not to have heard the […]
This is NOT YOUR REVOLUTION. So please stop trying to own it. When a house is on fire, no one cares who has the water. And indeed, the house is on fire. Nobody owns a revolution. This is not my revolution. This is not your revolution. The very […]
Dear Pepsi, I have one question for you. What in the hell were you thinking?! I suppose Pepsi was attempting to speak to the current issues of protests in the nation many surrounding the death of Black men and women due to police brutality by…wait for it…getting Kendall […]
