ABSTRACT
"I am a black poet who will not remain silent while this nation murders black people. I have a right to be angry" — this is the mantra of the literary-digital movement #Black-PoetsSpeakOut (BPSO), a campaign that provides a platform for black poets to vocalize opposition to police brutality through poetry. This chapter presents an interview of architect and cofounder Amanda Johnston by the author. The interview documents the formation and development of BPSO through a series of interviews Johnston who highlights the campaign’s strategy of combining artful public protest with grassroots operations that challenge the state’s racial logic. It emphasizes how, animated by elegiac resistance, #BlackPoetsSpeakOut marries art and activism in urgent ways. #BlackPoetsSpeakOut is a robust network of people, testimonies, ideas, and actions aimed at changing the relationship of African Americans to controlling institutions and policies.
