Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Donté Clark. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Donté , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?
Ever since I can remember, storytelling has been my passion. When I was barely in kindergarten I use to sit in the house for hours learning from Hooked on Phonics how to sound out words, learning how to letter and identify words that was beyond my reading level. I would play the tapes and memorize books and stories that were told to me. One day for school, I asked my teacher Mrs Hitchcock if I could read a story to the class for story time and she said yes. Even though I was a quiet and shy kid, I really wanted to share this story. Only thing is I never read the story before. I heard it maybe twice and memorized it just so I could recited it to the class. Everyone was impressed. Through grade elementary o always had good reading and wrote the best book reports. All of my teachers said when I write, I have a way of speaking to my audience as if they are right there with me. I never forgot this. So when I got to high school, and the street element started to take over and affect my mental well being, I just turned to writing down my feelings and sharing stories. Through poetry, music, stage plays and movie scripts. Always knew it would lead me to where I am today. I always knew. Since the beginning.
Donté , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I started writing rhyme when I was in the 6th grade. Inspired off of mostly southern rap artist like Cash Money, Ti, Young Jeezy, and lil Wayne mostly, I tried penning my own rhymes and telling stories about where I come from, grabbing instrumentals on burnt cds and writing songs to make each beat trying to get on lil Wayne’s level. For hours I would listen to rhymes, and study how certain artist flow, put words together and the inflections in their delivery. I practiced different styles until I found my own. I remember recording my first song on a tape recorder back in 02-03. It was to that Jagged Edge and Fabolous beat Trade It All. Throughout high school I kept honing my skills until I came across poetry. Studying the life of 2pac, I learned that what helps him rhyme was his ability to read a variety of books and write poetry. Around 17 I wrote my first poem. It was a love poem inspired by this young lady I had a crush on at the time. Once we start talking I gave it to her, and that went how it went. She loved it obviously, but what was interesting about it, is everyone I shared it with beforehand didn’t believe I wrote it. They wasn’t use to me speaking about love or allowing myself to be vulnerable in that way. Which could have been taken as a dis, but that was the ultimate compliment to me. This poem was so good that they thought I stole it off the internet. That made me want to write another one to prove to myself I could do it. Thoughts of hurting myself, hurting others, and battling with depression. I poured my soul onto the page and when I shared out loud I made people cry. At the moment I know my passion for writing and storytelling would be used in music, poetry and filmmaking. So how I got into my profession, I just kept writing and sharing. The more I shared the more opportunities came my way. Someone offered me an opportunity to work with young folks with teaching and writing poetry, I sayid yes. Developed a creative wring group, we started putting on spoken word shows and then started writing plays. Next thing you know we’re making films. My whole angle with my art is to provide a space for black folks that can relate to the struggles we face, identity our pains and griefs, process those emotions and find the best words to push us forward. To heal, and rebuild our broken pieces world building through words. I’ve been teaching for 18 years. Fresh out of high school. Produced several plays, one being Té’s Harmony, a richmond rendition of Romeo and Juliet. Which turned into an award winning documentary titled Romeo is Bleeding, produced by all Def Digit 2017. I co-wrote and co started in a YouTube tv series called The North Pole Show, that dives into gentrification in North Oakland. And I’ve written and produced my first short film soon to be premiered spring 2026. I’ve published 4 collections of poetry books, the latest being Psalms, and We Cry freedom. While also facilitating a poetry workshop in juvenile hall for 3 years. What I’m most proud of is that I followed my passion from day one. Never allowing anyone to deter me from finding a way to express my creativity as it flows through me. Allowing the art to pave the way.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
One of the most challenging aspects of my evolution is to let go of the street mentality and grow more towards an abundant mindset. Coming up often it was taught to us that “we ain’t never had nothing, so we gotta hustle” and although that may be true in some parts, but not far from the truth in totality. I had to learn about the power of mind, thought and words of affirmation. How powerful are words are and how we most times places curses on our lives because of what we say about ourselves. Learning to see the power of God in me and all around me. Learning to connect to that power and activate what’s good in my life to bring more of that frequency in with abundance. Yes, I may have experienced some hardships, but we never was lack, or lacking anything. We always have just what we need to get where we are going. So I make it my mission to encourage this mindset of abundance to everyone I interact with especially young folks. To envision ourselves in the future and speak about our lives in future tense will increase our hope and faith in being more productive and free.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
My whole life and artist career I had to be resilient. Growing up staying in different parts of richmond Ca but my family being from North richmond I had to adjust to each environment, surrounded by the chaos. Had to wear my family name and neighborhood on my back as i travel through the other parts of the city by myself. Losing close friends and relatives to gun violence back to back. I remember when I first started mentoring young folks on the creative writing tip and some would come to talk to me because they felt connected to me and safe. It was 2011-2013. I had a lil brother by the name of Dimarea. I would spend countless hours talking with him. Sometimes light hearted and fun, other times heated and intense. Dimarea was such a talented writer, sketch artist and very charming. So much potential, just struggling to overcome the pressure of city streets. One day we were arguing about the choices he was making. In one of the offices rooms with the doors closed but our conversation were bouncing through the walls. Others heard us but no one came to interrupt. This was a heart to heart. I was stressing to Dimarea, my little brother, to make better choices because once he puts on this “jacket” of the streets, it’ll be heard for him to take it off later in life. I told him if anything happened to him I would trip out. I remember he told me right then, “ hold up, how you gone tell me not to retaliate, but saying you gone do something if something happen to me? You’re contradicting yourself. You gotta practice what you preach Té. You a good dude….we need you to stay on that path….you are only hope right now foreal” those word hit me every time I think about him. About a year or so later Dimarea was tragically killed. Gun violence. It broke my heart. I wanted to tear the city up. So many times I was tempted to. But our conversations ring in my mind for days, weeks at a time. “Keep doing yo thang té, we need you” this tragedy happens when we were putting on our Romeo and Juliet play ,Té’s Harmony, addressing gun violence in richmond. As I’m rehearsing as “Romeo” seeking revenge for his best friend murder, I had to relive the grief. What may have been good theater for others, was my therapy. It’s been over a decade since My little brothers death. I’ve loaded many others before him, and since and I had to make my choice then, to walk the path, and lead the way. Showing up for my community pushing peace, love and creativity. Allowing my art to process the pain, and reimagine what life should be for us inner city kids moving forward.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/donblak?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/josiah.james.1257?mibextid=wwXIfr
- Twitter: https://x.com/yofavoritepoet?s=21
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@donblak?si=yhQC0n13aEAQzTYD
Image Credits
Wallah Umoja
Molly Crana