If it Heals At All

"If It Heals At All (IIHAA) centers the Black experience in Cleveland, Ohio. It is a reflection of the violence, racism, illness, love and joy that is rooted in Cleveland. The project is meant to accompany my first book of poetry, IIHAA. It brings specific lines from select poems to life to provide viewers with a unique experience of engaging with poetry. The bold, large scale lines of poetry are designed to amplify the voices of each speaker in each poem. The title of my project focuses on healing, challenging viewers to question the healing process. Do Black folks ever truly heal from the ravages of racism? Do we ever stop grieving? What does it mean to heal? Are we ever healed from the illnesses that plague us? The IIHAA project will showcase 4-5 large scale text based pieces. These pieces will be exhibited at a local gallery. Possible gallery spaces include the following: ATSNC Center for Healing & Creative Leadership in the historic Buckeye-Shaker neighborhood or Balance Point (located in East Cleveland). I will offer 3 public poetry readings where audiences will be able to hear the lines of poetry displayed from the exhibition read live. For example, one text based piece might showcase the line, "you think about the baby killed by the bullet," which derives from my poem entitled, "Kinsman." At the public readings, I will read "Kinsman" in its entirety. This pattern will continue for the other pieces."