NYU Black Renaissance Noire Spring/Summer 2013 | Page 7

In the new issue of Black Renaissance
Noire, we celebrate the poetry of
Brenda Connor-Bey and Jayne
Cortez. We acknowledge and honor
these important cultural workers
with an essay on the work of Brenda
Connor-Bey by Gary Johnston, as well
as a poem by Brenda, and one by her
friend, Mervyn Taylor. The section
on Jayne Cortez – which is larger
because of her affiliation with nyu’s
Institute of African American Affairs
and the celebration of her life that
took place on February 6th, 2013 at
Cooper Union’s Great Hall. From that
celebration, we are publishing the
tributes by: Amiri Baraka, Manthia
Diawara, Rashidah Ismaili, Robin
D. G. Kelley, Dr. Rosamond S. King,
Eugene B. Redmond, and me, the
editor of this journal. Also included are
sculptural images by Jayne’s husband,
Melvin Edwards, which alternates
with 4 poems by Ms. Cortez. Chester
Higgins’ photograph of Jayne Cortez,
opens this section. The section closes
with photographs of the Cooper Union
Celebration by Joyce Jones and Eugene
B. Redmond.

In addition, brn is also proud to
publish the poetry of Darryl Alladice,
George Barlow, Tara Betts, Kwame
Dawes, Tyehimba Jess, Jacqueline
Johnson, Quraysh Ali Lansana, Bojan
Louis, Brandy MacDougall, David
Mills, David Mura, Cynthia Dewi Oka,
Cedar Sigo. Also in the issue is fiction
by A. Igoni Barrett, Aimasi Hines
and Iheoma Nwachukwu, as well, as
excerpts of a memoir by Patricia Jabbeh
Wesley. We are also pleased to publish
Ishmael Reed’s essay on his recent
trip to China and a personal essay by
David Mura. We look at the work of
Richard Wright in a piece by Dr. Floyd
Hayes, III. Art historian and critic,
Lizzetta Lefalle-Collins contributes
essays enhanced with visuals on the
paintings of Robert Colescott and
Mary Lovelace O’ Neal to produce a
stunning spread of the works of these
important artists. Last, but not least,
we are pleased to offer the stunning
photographic art of Lesley Dill, whose
artwork graces our cover.
As always, we at brn welcome your
feedback on this new issue and we
thank you for your continued support
of our efforts. n

BLACK RENAISSANCE NOIRE

On the other hand, often lasting
important, historic, and ultimately
progressive changes come amidst great
chaos and on that note let us focus
on the optimism inherent in the idea
of rebirth, exemplified during the
spring season in the month of May.
As the old axiom goes, “April showers
bring May flowers.”

5

This opposition is literally tearing the
nation apart in so many important
areas, which anyone with a brain
can identify. All one has to do is just
look at the American landscape to
identify the widespread destruction
of many of the nation’s historical
mores, political institutions, its civility
and civil life. As a consequence many
of our important institutions, like
the media and the press, the halls of
jurisprudence, cultural life — literary,
film, music, you name it, are being
debased and corrupted. The desperate
grab for power by conservative, wealthy,
racist and xenophobic forces that
have joined together to influence the
future direction of the country out of
a profound fear of the demographic
changes the country is undergoing.
These destructive forces refuse to accept
that nothing can stop this transformation.
Consequently the nation suffers
because of the terror white people
feel at what they imagine is their
impending loss of privilege and control.
This, in my opinion, is at the heart
of all their anxiety and dread and
disharmony, which I fear threatens
national paralysis and collapse of our
basic, fundamental institutions.

BRN-SPRING-2013.indb 5

4/8/13 9:38 PM