“We’re all imprisoned in the castle of our skins,” starts Nikki Giovanni’s “Poem for Nina.” My mom met Nina Simone, whom the poem is dedicated to in 1968. A few years later she met Nikki Giovanni. As a child, my mom regaled me with anecdotes about all these leaders, creatives and academics. Everyday people who shaped the 60’s and 70’s and expanded my world with hope and possibility. Ms Giovanni autographed her book, A Good Cry, for me before the program, An Evening with Nikki Giovanni last month. This afternoon, I attended a performance by “Castle of Our Skins.”
“Castle of our Skins is a Black arts institution dedicated to fostering cultural curiosity and celebrating Black artistry through music. In classrooms, concert halls, and beyond, Castle of our Skins invites Black heritage and culture exploration, spotlighting both unsung and celebrated figures of past and present.”
Ms Giovanni, this is part of your legacy. In 2003, musicians Ashleigh Gordon and Anthony Green launched Castle of our Skins. I am in awe, a line from the 1960’s is taken as a name for a group in 2003. Events that gave rise to Nina Simone as both activist and artist, inspired activist and poet Nikki Giovanni and in turn inspired innovation as two musicians start a movement. It’s a beautiful storyline of poetic justice for me.
I attend a weekly community dinner. Each week, there is a question to consider. A couple of weeks ago the question was what is your legacy? What would be in your obituary? This week consider your impact and your legacy. What is it?
Balancing on Unstable Surfaces 