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.”
As the not guilty verdict hit social media feeds around the world, it left many Black people just nodding their heads, as Officer Betty Shelby was able to exit an Oklahoma courtroom a free woman. Officer Shelby would not be held accountable for fatally wounding African American motorist […]
After many disgruntled tweets, Facebook posts and tears from those that just could not understand why Netflix would be debuting a series based on the acclaimed movie, entitled Dear White People, the original series was finally released this month. I immediately knew that this was a series that […]
If you happened to feel the earth shake last night at 8:03 p.m., that was thud of the collective mouths of every Real Housewives of Atlanta fan dropping wide open as we finally learned that housewives’ attorney and recent maybe divorcee, Phaedra Parks, was the low-down, doesn’t know […]
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 […]
