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.”
I awoke this morning to check my Facebook page and was greeted by Laura who took issue with my blog post, Dear America: You Should Have Listened. Sincerely, A Black Woman. I am not above people disliking my blog posts. I am simply a Black woman with a […]
If you are avoiding all media outlets due to the fact we now live in the Matrix (I understand), you may have missed the announcement that broke the internet, Beyonce, Mrs. Carter if you nasty, is pregnant with twins! Yes! Twins! When my daughter sent me the picture […]
For this year’s Black History Month (which might I add, as I always do, is the shortest month of the year), can we please get through February without attributing every “trend” that African American women have been doing since before time was time, to Kim Kardashian or some […]
Everything you need to save this nation can be found in a Black woman. The mother of all civilization and creation. Black women are the epitome of grace under pressure, resilience, power, love and strength. Black women have always been at the forefront of a movement, under-girding a […]
Hearing the loud announcements of gate changes in the JFK, New York airport made my heart beat, thump, almost explode in my chest. I was home. Back in America. The land of the free. So why did I feel like I was in shackles? The entire trip I […]
Everywhere you look…Black, White, Young, Old they are there. Holding a memory as close to them as their next breath, afraid that if they exhale the secret they have kept will come tumbling out like skeletons from closets. For some, there is no shame, no guilt, for others […]
This poem changed my life and I would be remiss if I did not share it on my blog. I wrote this poem after the backlash Beyonce received for her Superbowl performance and it was as if many people in the world forgot or convinced themselves that Beyonce […]
You take the blue pill – the story ends, you wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill – you stay in Wonderland and I show you how deep the rabbit-hole goes. – Morpheus The Matrix I once heard […]
While many are celebrating the Women’s March On Washington that happened January 21 2017, I sat on my couch staring at the TV feeling more irritated than inspired. I watched crowds of thousands, overjoyed that finally the message of racism, sexism, homophobia, and any other ism was finally […]
WRITE SOME S#!T Be bold Unafraid YOU BE THAT VOICE! Inspire someone Ignite a movement Uplift someone Speak truth to power WRITE SOME S#!T Ask the hard questions Demand answers Pen a word for the forgotten Change policies Be a voice for the voiceless WRITE SOME S#!T […]
