If People Have Nothing Else, They Have A Name: The (Un)Known Project
I cannot imagine going through this world and being labeled as unknown. The heartbreak that causes me. To die, with no name. How much more can be stripped from someone?
hannahdrake628
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.”
To The Next Breonna Taylor…
I am sorry that this city will not care enough to see you. The sad truth is, as a Black woman, this city never saw you in all your beauty and splendor. This city will only care about you to the extent it can extract something from you, and once they have swallowed you whole, they will gladly spit you back out. This city will never see everything you contributed to this community nor understand how your death left holes that cannot be easily filled with plywood adorned with images of your face. I am sorry that this city never cared enough about Black women to get this moment right. I am sorry this city failed you.
Dear Black People, You Will Not “Good Person” Your Way Out Of Racism
We will not “good deeds” or “good person” our way out of racism. We must fight and resist our way out of racism. We must challenge systems. We must tear down in order to rebuild something new. The people that are in the streets demanding justice are demanding it for ALL Black people. We understand whether you are a Black man or a Black woman, you can be a victim of police brutality. We understand whether you have a GED or a Ph.D., you can be a victim of police brutality. We understand if you wear jeans that sag to your knees or a tailor-made three-piece suit, you can be a victim of police brutality. Do not let your proximity to Whiteness and good deeds fool you.
It’s Not That White Women Didn’t Listen to Black Women, White Women Didn’t Care About Black Women
Finally, it dawned on me; it wasn’t that White women were not listening to Black women. I believe White women were indifferent to the suffering of Black women. Essentially, White women didn’t care.
Let Them Eat Cake -An Open Letter to Bill Carstanjen, CEO of Churchill Downs Incorporated
Understand, that life as we know it doesn’t go back to normal this weekend. We don’t have the luxury of pretending we do not see what is happening in this nation. We don’t get to ignore everything that is going on around us. We don’t get to sip mint juleps served over crushed ice as the nation burns.
Please Allow Black People A Moment To Breathe
For her son’s funeral in Chicago, the mother of Emmett Till, Mamie Till, insisted that the casket containing his body be left open, because, in her words, “I wanted the world to see what they did to my baby.” The photo of Till’s severely beaten and bloated body […]
Dear Kamala or Susan…They Will Call You Loud.
Dear Kamala or Susan, They will call you aggressive. They will mock your body shape. They will say you are cold. They will say you are unfriendly. They will send you hate mail. They will say you are mean. They will demand you fix everything wrong in this […]
Dear Daniel Cameron, Escalation Tips The Scales of Justice
It was escalation that has changed the very course of his life and the course of this nation. Only a man ignorant of his BLACK history would dare speak about justice not being achieved through escalation. I would advise Daniel and this state to accept that your life will never be business as usual again. Until there is justice for Breonna Taylor we will continue our escalations until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.
The Breonna Taylor Incident Report Is A Slap In The Face to ALL Black Women
THIS REPORT WAS A SLAP IN THE FACE TO ALL BLACK WOMEN! This report was another way of killing the legacy of Breonna Taylor over and over again. Every single day we fight and wait for justice. But justice too long delayed is often justice denied. Because every day, this city reminds Black women that our lives do not matter. Our lives matter so little, the police can kill us, lie on an incident report, and put that bullshit incident report out in the media without batting an eye. There is absolutely no fucking accountability!
Sorry Not Sorry. Signed, A Racist Woman That Is Only Apologizing Because I Got Caught Being Racist
It’s the 911 call that has been heard around the world. By now, I know many of my readers have watched the video between dog choker walker, Amy Cooper and bird watcher, Christian Cooper, however the video is posted below. When I told you women like Karen are […]