Joié's Blog

Jasmine Mans, 29, is a queer black spoken word artist from Newark, New Jersey. She released her second poetry book “Black Girl, Call Home” on March 9, 2021. According to the summary, “Black Girl, Call Home is a love letter to the wandering Black girl and vital companion to any woman on a journey to find truth, belonging, and healing.” 

This book honors black girlhood, black womanhood and even black manhood. Despite the battle African Americans continue to fight due to racial injustice, Mans highlights her nostalgic moments growing up. Diving into the scary reality of being black in America, Mans concisely uses bold, metaphoric language to get her message across. “All too normal how it stays so perfect, for the morning, and mourning after” Mans says, quoting her work. 

Mans’ words are honest, insightful, creative, and emotionally-impactful. Her goal was to intersect the perspectives of black girls and black women. “They may not even be in agreement, but they are in conversation and they’re heard. I’m listening to the girl in me, but also that elder in me,” she tells Essence. She also gives us a glimpse of her story as a black-queer woman.

I loved this book and I found several moments of my childhood in Mans’ experience. From getting my hair done by my great grandma to wiping down walls on the weekend, there are elements of my personal story in hers. It even gave me a moment of gratitude to acknowledge my mother’s story and her sacrifices.

Here are five of my favorite poems from the book

• Momma Has a Hair Salon in the Kitchen
• Speak to Me of My Mother, Who Was She
• Birmingham
• All Too Normal
• Footnotes for Kanye

Thank you, Jasmine Mans, for blessing us with your impactful thought-provoking words. In honor of National Poetry Month, support a black woman and purchase her book here. Also follow her on Instagram @poetjasminemans