I Am Still Your Negro

Poet, author, and public speaker Valerie Mason-John (a.k.a. “Queenie”) highlights issues of the African Diaspora and the Black, female, Queer identity, and resists the currently existing overt and covert forms of colonialism through their fierce and brave writing. They are the author /editor of ten books. Their debut novel, Borrowed Body, won the 2006 Mind Book of the Year Award. They co-edited the award-winning anthology, The Great Black North: Contemporary African Canadian Poetry, and co-produced blackhalifax.com. Their most recent book is an edited collection: Afrikan Wisdom: New Voices Talk Black Liberation, Buddhism, and Beyond. Valerie lives in Vancouver. Find them online at valeriemason-john.com.

ix Foreword George Elliott Clarke
xiii ID
xvii Introduction

#Undocumented
Back a Yard
My Father’s Prayer
Sticks and Stones

#ThisIsAfricanDiaspora
Yaata’s Lament
The Ghost of Thomas Peters
I Am Africa
African Feet
The Windrush
I Am Still Your Negro
Another One Bites the Dust

#MeToo
Yaata’s Yowl
Business
Golden Virginia
The Villain
The Perfect Road
The Couplet
#MeToo
Playing Dead

#IfMyPlantsCouldSpeak
Yaata’s Groan
Yellowknife
The Binge
The VindaLoo
Anorectic

#Swag
Yaata’s Manifesto
The Front Line
Sixty Seconds
Stalk Time
Mothercare

#RaveScene
Yaata’s Rap
Essentials for Heaven
Cinders Time
My First Half
Class A

#Intersectionality
Yaata’s Prophecy
Self Portrait 1: The Colour of My Skin
Self Portrait 2: Call Me My Name
Mani-Festation
A Wake
Forget and Pretend
Again Becoming
Farewell My Fiend

Yaata’s Epilogue

Acknowledgements