Sonia Sanchez, an activist of the 1960s Black Arts Movement, was no stranger to speaking truth to power and demanding liberation for her people. Her iconic poems testified to the injustices Black people experienced, like the drug war and police brutality.
But one action she took to fight injustice was so powerful and unexpected, it would be laughable if the response to it hadn’t been so cruel.
She and 10 other grandmothers entered an Army recruiter's office to enlist in the Iraq war in place of our youth! Sanchez and the grandmothers chanted "Take us, not Philadelphia's children and grandchildren. Let them live their lives!"
She knew their voices would be heard, and that the media would cover their story. Still, she braced for what was to come.
The grandmothers were arrested, charged with “defiant trespassing,” AND taken to jail! This was not surprising to Sanchez: it was simply white supremacy at work! She refused to back down.
Fortunately, the trial lasted only 15 minutes, with all charges dropped. They had made their point, and their defiance is an example for us all.
Whether through poetry or direct action, we must fight for the rights of our people by any means necessary. Then we can become a powerful force speaking truth to power and can empower others to do the same!