Poetry is Not a Luxury spoke to both the ways in which the personal is political as well as the physical manifestation of poetry in the lives of Black women. From a modern perspective, reading Audre Lorde’s Poetry is Not a Luxury felt like reading the official doctrine for Black Girl Magic. Across all platforms of social media, Black girls in the United States and around the world have been using the term ‘Black girl magic’ to label the indefinable presence that Black women naturally exude. It’s hashtagged on Instagram photos and Tumblr posts of Black girls thriving in the face of adversity and simply enjoying their existence. Although the term Black girl magic may be difficult to define, you know it when you see it.
Further, Black girl magic is far more than a trending topic. The reach of Black girl magic has extended beyond the realm of social media and has become a way of life. When I see the Black women in my life use the term Black girl magic in regards to their achievements or attributes, I understand that the term is ubiquitous in their lives, and does not occur in a vacuum. Yet I’ve also noticed that the Black women who self-identify with the term Black girl magic have made the informed decision to do so. Black girl magic is not something Black women are automatically born with. Rather, I can extrapolate that Black women are born with the ability to create Black girl magic. Some Black women will not endure the difficult journey of self-exploration and self-love, and they can go their entire lives without tapping into their true potential. Every Black woman who I have witnessed taking part in Black girl magic has gone or is continuing to go through the deeply personal task of ridding their minds and souls of the omnipresent and oppressive grasp of white supremacy. My personal belief is that every Black woman must go on this journey in order to empower herself and gain freedom from an ingrained social hierarchy that has placed Black women at the bottom. Audre Lorde seems to be in agreement, but takes her argument one step further.
In Poetry is Not a Luxury, Lorde discusses the dark, ancient places of power that are hidden within the corporeal existence of Black women. Yet Lorde argues that simply reclaiming this power is a mere first step. After discovering a non-European conscious and exploring the inner self, Black women must transition into expressing this newfound sense of self, ideally through poetry. According to Lorde, poetry remains vital because it allows for the expression of thoughts and experiences that have not yet taken form. For Lorde, the goal of self-exploration is not just freedom for the sake of freedom; it is freedom to express and freedom to create. Through poetry and through self exploration, Black women are able to use their voices and end the longstanding historical silencing of their narrative. Black women must draw from the ancestral knowledge, strength, and perseverance of the ‘Black mother - the poet,’ in order to thrive in a white male dominated society.
Further, Black girl magic is far more than a trending topic. The reach of Black girl magic has extended beyond the realm of social media and has become a way of life. When I see the Black women in my life use the term Black girl magic in regards to their achievements or attributes, I understand that the term is ubiquitous in their lives, and does not occur in a vacuum. Yet I’ve also noticed that the Black women who self-identify with the term Black girl magic have made the informed decision to do so. Black girl magic is not something Black women are automatically born with. Rather, I can extrapolate that Black women are born with the ability to create Black girl magic. Some Black women will not endure the difficult journey of self-exploration and self-love, and they can go their entire lives without tapping into their true potential. Every Black woman who I have witnessed taking part in Black girl magic has gone or is continuing to go through the deeply personal task of ridding their minds and souls of the omnipresent and oppressive grasp of white supremacy. My personal belief is that every Black woman must go on this journey in order to empower herself and gain freedom from an ingrained social hierarchy that has placed Black women at the bottom. Audre Lorde seems to be in agreement, but takes her argument one step further.
In Poetry is Not a Luxury, Lorde discusses the dark, ancient places of power that are hidden within the corporeal existence of Black women. Yet Lorde argues that simply reclaiming this power is a mere first step. After discovering a non-European conscious and exploring the inner self, Black women must transition into expressing this newfound sense of self, ideally through poetry. According to Lorde, poetry remains vital because it allows for the expression of thoughts and experiences that have not yet taken form. For Lorde, the goal of self-exploration is not just freedom for the sake of freedom; it is freedom to express and freedom to create. Through poetry and through self exploration, Black women are able to use their voices and end the longstanding historical silencing of their narrative. Black women must draw from the ancestral knowledge, strength, and perseverance of the ‘Black mother - the poet,’ in order to thrive in a white male dominated society.
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