DEADLINE: February 1, 2017
Black lives have always mattered. While the Black Lives Matter movement has reminded the nation of the persistent reality of contemporary discrimination that black lives also matter — that black men and women should be treated with equal dignity in every quarter of American life, including by law enforcement – black lives have always mattered because all lives matter.
It is in this spirit that 2Leaf Press is pleased to announce an open submission call for its forthcoming anthology, BLACK LIVES HAVE ALWAYS MATTERED, A Collection of Essays, Poems, and Personal Narratives, edited by Abiodun Oyewole, a founding member of The Last Poets and author of BRANCHES OF THE TREE OF LIFE (2leaf Press, 2014). Publication date is April 15, 2017. The purpose of this anthology is to articulate how racism continues to constrain the possibilities, and the very humanity of, black Americans. Editor Oyewole will deftly wield various modes of expression to give a polyphonic voice to both the “small” daily slights experienced by black people and the persistent, pervasive life-threatening and life-taking acts that have existed for generations that have dominated news reports in recent years, and have given rise to new social justice movements. Oyewole is open to critically written essays (that are readable to the general public), personal narratives (that share personal experiences) and poetry (that is extremely well-written and are of the highest caliber). This collection is not intended as an easy read – how could it be? – but it is an urgent one.
ESSAY: 20,000 words
PERSONAL NARRATIVE: 2,500 words
POEM: No word count limit (don’t send a ten page opus), but must be of the highest caliber
Send submissions and queries to: blacklivesmatter [AT] 2leafpress [DOT] org
Connect with Abiodun Oyewole on Twitter @poet_abiodun
Please send essays and personal narratives double-spaced as a Word document. Please use the following naming convention for your document: “LAST NAME-FIRST NAME-11-16-2016 (Current Date).doc” A brief bio included in your email is appreciated. Submitters will be notified by February 15, 2017.
Black Lives Matter did not invent racial hatred or violence, but has instead mounted a human rights movement bold enough to articulate unspeakable, unspoken truths about a national culture of violence, division, and racial oppression. The purpose of this collection is to expound on a point that has resonated the moment that slaves were brought to the shores of America – that black lives have always mattered.
BLACK LIVES HAVE ALWAYS MATTERED, A Collection of Essays, Poems, and Personal Narratives is the third volume of 2LP EXPLORATIONS IN DIVERSITY, Sean Frederick Forbes, series editor.
BLACK LIVES HAVE ALWAYS MATTERED
A Collection of Essays, Poems, and Personal Narratives
Edited by Abiodun Oyewole
ISBN: 978-1-940939-61-2 (Paperback)
ISBN: 978-1-940939-62-9 (ePub)
LCCN: 2016958430
2LP EXPLORATIONS IN DIVERSITY
Publication Date: April 15, 2017
www.blacklivesalwaysmattered.org
