Cookouts and Confessions

Cookouts and Confessions is an invitation to explore the many dimensions of Blackness through poetry rooted in memory, grief, faith, truth, love, and liberation.Classroom discussions, lived experiences, and a commitment to lifelong learning have shaped each poem, story, and proverb.The cookouts represent the joy, creativity, culture, love, and resilience embodied within Black communities.The confessions reflect the hardships, systemic oppression, family secrets, trauma, grief, and unspoken truths that are often felt, even when they remain unsaid.These seemingly opposing realities are deeply interconnected. To celebrate one while ignoring the other is to miss the fullness of our stories. Both reflection and action are necessary for healing, growth, and change.It is my hope that this collection encourages you to honor the beauty, confront the pain, and engage in the work of creating a better future for ourselves and those who follow.We'll see you at the cookout.