The poem that stood out to me from the readings this week is Bocas: A Daughter’s Geography. Colonization and the struggle between the powerful and the powerless is something that I often think about and study in a lot of my classes. However, reading Shange’s poem gave me a new perspective on the matter. Amidst the horrors and aftermath of colonization, Shange finds a way to create unity and hope amongst all those who have suffered under imperialist powers:
“but I have a daughter/ la habana
i have a son/ guyana
our twins
santiago & brixton cannot speak
the same language
yet we fight the same old men” (A Daughter’s Geography).
Throughout her poem, Shange repeats these lines utilizing different cities and countries. She writes about how these geographic locations are different from each other, often speaking different languages. However, they are bonded by the same struggle against imperialist powers, or “the same old men,” as Shange puts it. While the struggle for liberation is an uphill battle, those who are suffering can draw strength from the knowledge that others across the globe are in the fight with them, which is an empowering and beautiful message.
When I first saw Brixton amongst the regions she was talking about, I was wondering why Shange would choose to put a district within the United Kingdom, an imperialist force, within the list. However, I learned that a large percentage of the population in Brixton is of Afro-Caribbean descent. Additionally, in 1981, Brixton was undergoing riots as a result of social and economic problems. This poem by Shange was published in 1983, meaning that the Brixton riots were most likely on her mind. The way that Shange weaves through the globe connecting places of struggle leads me to believe that liberation requires a united global effort.
I’m currently reading Freedom is a Constant Struggle: Ferguson, Palestine, and the Foundations of a Movement by Angela Davis. In her book, Davis talks about the “tweets of Palestinian activists used to provide advice for protestors in Ferguson, on how to deal with tear gas” (42). Palestinians and Black Americans “cannot speak the same language,” however their shared struggle allows them to be empowered by each other, which is the point that I believe Shange was trying to make in her poem.