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You, the Miracle
By Aarti Kalamangalam, 16 The world is a tired, worried woman. Lifetimes are stones in her pockets, history a black garb draped upon her figure. With each tear, she inks…
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Fertilizer
By Rianna Griffith, 14 As more black bodies drop weekly at the hands of your hate I wonder, Do we make better fertilizer? Nourish your ground and grow your systems…
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Western Portrait
By Trish Le, 17 Grandma says: Con, bring an umbrella, look more AmericanNo boys will like you if you don’t look AmericanBe more American means be more white means disappearMy…
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Meet Chris Baxter: Finance Professional, Poet, and YBH Writing Judge
Chris is a 30-year finance and investment professional who enjoys writing as a creative distraction. We are grateful to have him serve as one of the judges for our writing…
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Hypnos
By Charlotte Cheung, 17 Ohio Medium: digital art This is a piece based on the feeling of not being productive and wanting nothing but to sleep. Knowing that you have…
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Human Eye
By Zarria Clark, 14 Viewed from the human eye I am unpolluted air difficult to breathe in.Concealing myself away like camouflaging a black eye,I still stand out, yet I don’t…
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大龙与天后 (The Great Dragon and the Heavenly Empress)
By Alisha Wong, 16 A dragon and an empress rest in my living room, Expressions austere and pensive As I ask what molded his talons and fangs; Forged his vermillion…
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Crocheting with Kindness
By Nadia Barnard, 16 When I was in fourth grade, my teacher would teach my class how to crochet every Friday. We would do simple chains or make scarves and…
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You Tried to Kill God
By Maya Goldberg, 16 Congratulations, thank you for killing God. Bravo! The rationales have won. No more will we be subjected to the torment of illusion, you have provided us…
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Color Beyond the Abyss
By Jennifer Aburto, 17 I am an aspiring 17-year-old artist that uses art to show the colors I feel. Recently I experienced something that made my mind dark but fortunately…
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Katherine Dunham Mural Project – East St. Louis
By Andra Lang Jr., 22 I was asked to complete a commission project for the Katherine Dunham museum located in my home town of East Saint Louis. I’m a former…
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Art & Writing Contest!
Enter the Youth Be Heard Art and Poetry contest by September 15th to win up to a $100 prize and have your art featured and printed. Ages 13-21 allowed to…
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Graduate
Scottlynn Ballard, 18 Graduate. Grad—to step. -ation—the state or quality of Graduation—the state of stepping into a quantitative unknown. Dear senior, You mispronounce unprecedence You Phoenix from the ashes of…
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Body Image
Emilee Adams, 19 How we see ourselves has an immeasurable impact on our lives. I have found that my “body image” changes rapidly, even on a daily basis sometimes. One…
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Mammoth in the Monolith
Lena Diakite, 16 The vote of who if not all?Clones controlled by one hive.All the kin are skins.Separation of thought, not heard of.Those who have broken free, have done so…
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It’s Pride Month!: Remembering Marsha “Pay It No Mind” Johnson
Charlotte Cheung, 17 In honor of pride month, I created this pink and purple colored pencil drawing of Marsha P. Johnson. I only first learned about her through someone’s post…
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Stuck Inside
Charlotte Cheung, 17 Medium: digital Here’s the first piece that I made during quarantine. It refers to the confinement in our homes that virtually everyone is experiencing right now. Because…
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Introductions
H. S., 17, Missouri Hello! My name is H. S. I am seventeen years old and I live in St. Louis. My pronouns are she and her. I have a…
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I AM BLACK EXCELLENCE
Tra’Lia Winters, 16 Even with the odds stacked against me I still persevered! I’m already labeled before I even enter a room! I AM BLACK EXCELLENCE! You are intimidated by…
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Black Lives Matter- Portrait of George Floyd
By Charlotte Cheung, 17 Medium: digital This piece was made in light of the most recent instance of an innocent black American being made a target of violence based on…
