Portraits, by Maabena Nti

Written By Human Rights Art Festival

Portraits

I - Malala

I am a single ember from the flame of revolt that burns the banner
that reads It is haram for girls to go to school.

I trace my  strength from the sacrifice of foremothers and sisters
For my education and the education of girls and women.
I spit bullets into peace– a new curriculum against tyranny.


II - Women

Chorus

I am a flame plucked from my crimson mother
Absinthe sparks stream on the cover of a bluegrass album

Everything here is draped in calico– flammable except the diadem: a motif i used
To inherit the torch of feminist evolution

The torch of revolt against oppression
The torch for education
                for justice
              for liberty

Human Rights Art Festival

Tom Block is a playwright, author of five books, 20-year visual artist and producer of the International Human Rights Art Festival. His plays have been developed and produced at such venues as the Ensemble Studio Theater, HERE Arts Center, Dixon Place, Theater for the New City, IRT Theater, Theater at the 14th Street Y, Athena Theatre Company, Theater Row, A.R.T.-NY and many others.  He was the founding producer of the International Human Rights Art Festival (Dixon Place, NY, 2017), the Amnesty International Human Rights Art Festival (2010) and a Research Fellow at DePaul University (2010). He has spoken about his ideas throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, Turkey and the Middle East. For more information about his work, visit www.tomblock.com.

http://ihraf.org
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