Guild Literary Complex Presents "Voices of Protest" Series

The Guild Literary Complex (Guild) has partnered with the Rebuild Foundation and the Stony Island Arts Bank to present "Voices of Protest," a series of programming that centers around “artivism,” or the use of art to effect change. “By featuring work that speaks out against, or has itself been subject to, censorship and other types of suppression, Voices of Protest emphasizes the importance of writing as a form of resistance and a means of establishing solidarity with oppressed and persecuted people everywhere.” In May 2019, a panel discussion on the book Of Poetry and Protest: From Emmett Till to Trayvon Martin, which is an anthology of African-American political art and poetry, served as the inaugural event for the series.
Before introducing the panel, Andrea Change, who is the President of the Board of Directors for the Guild, spoke about how the idea for "Voices of Protest" started off as a discussion between her and Michael Warr, Founding Director of the Guild, around the process of gathering relevant content for the book, its Chicago connection, and its ties with the Black Arts Movement.

The panelists included Angela Jackson, an accomplished playwright, author, and poet, and the recipient of the Chicago Black Arts Alliance Fiction Prize, among other accolades; Dr. Haki Madhubuti, a world-renowned author, educator, poet, institution builder, and founder of Third World Press, which has published quality Black literature for over 50 years; Eugene Redmond, an award-winning poet and educator who has had a significant impact on the world of literature in his hometown of East St. Louis and abroad; and finally Michael Warr who is the co-editor of and a contributor to Of Poetry and Protest: From Emmett Till to Trayvon Martin, and has received a number of awards and other forms of recognition for his poetry. Mr. Warr expressed how thrilled he was about the collaboration between the Guild and Theaster Gates’ Rebuild Foundation, and how much he appreciates the opportunity to engage in relevant face-to-face conversations. He credited the panel of Black literary greats, who are among nearly 50 poets that contributed to the book, for laying the foundation for him as a writer and activist. “They influenced me as truth tellers, as institution builders, as educators, and also as artists who are committed to social justice,” said Mr. Warr. He mentioned that the book, originally published in 2016, is being reprinted due to its overwhelming popularity, which speaks to the fact that it will continue to be relevant and timely as long as the random, unjustified police killings continue to happen. The statistics are alarming, and the title of the introduction from the book says it all: “One day this book will be a relic chronicling a period of insanity and humanity, I hope...”

The audience had the privilege of hearing the panelists read poems that they contributed to the anthology, share the poetry of others that was included in the book, and present some of their other works. Angela Jackson read her poem “Fannie (of Fannie Lou Hamer)” and Terrance Hayes’ “Some Luminous Distress (for Betty Shabazz)”, both of which are included in the book. In between readings, Dr. Madhubuti offered valuable advice and gave us a history lesson on Black literature, the Black Arts Movement, etc. He stressed the importance of political and cultural organizations working together, as evidenced by the accomplishments of such organizations as the Guild, which he greatly respects for the work it has done. He also emphasized the relevance of the anthology, as it brings the issue of the never-ending war back to the fore and will not allow us to ignore the fact that we need each other in order to win. We have always been at war, but most of us don’t realize it. “You can’t win a war unless you understand the war that you’re in,” he declared. (continued below)

Before his reading, Eugene Redmond expressed his appreciation for the approach that Michael Warr took in carefully selecting poems for the anthology. The section of Mr. Redmond's poem that was included in the book was part of his response to the shooting death of his friend, writer and poet Henry Dumas, in May 1968. He has been the literary executor of the estate of Dumas for 51 years and credits a great number of top Black writers for helping him to be successful in keeping the legacy of Dumas alive. Mr. Redmond ended with a reading of “Blues for Malcolm X,” written by Al Young, former poet laureate for the state of California; followed by “Milestone: The Birth of an Ancestor,” a poem that he wrote for the funeral of Miles Davis.

Mr. Warr posed a thought-provoking question to panel: “Have things changed at all, or is there some change that we can point to?” It was agreed that not much has changed since the 1960’s, as we are faced with the same issues that were prevalent during that time. Also, it is imperative that the young people who are involved in the Black activist movements of today carefully study the history of the original organizations that came about during the era of the Civil Rights Movement. In essence, “artivism” is a newer term based on to the work that has been done by these organizations. We cannot forget what has happened to us, and we must realize that it is a never-ending story. “Our responsibility as poets is not only to define what has happened...; it is to bring into existence that which is good, just, correct & right in terms of moving toward another way of writing," affirmed Dr. Madhubuti.”

The Guild Literary Complex, which started out as a bookstore three decades ago, evolved into an organization that continues to be instrumental in contributing to social justice through literary arts by giving a voice to those who are underrepresented and are otherwise voiceless. Join the Guild for the Of Poetry and Protest exhibition that will be introduced and put on display at the Stony Island Arts Bank at the end of June as part of the Guild’s 30th anniversary celebration and in connection with the presentation on the lawn of the gazebo where Tamir Rice was shot and killed by a police officer. For more information, visit https://guildcomplex.org/voices-of-protest/.