Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to E’mon Lauren. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
E’mon, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?
The most meaningful project I’ve worked on would definitely be my podcast-turned-talkshow, The Real Hoodwives of Chicago, established 2018. The Real Hoodwives of Chicago, is a platform for femme/flks of color from Chicago/land area to talk love, sex, romance, and all forms of “ratcherty”. The goal has always been to create and curate a living, consistent, unedited, unmasked archive for younger blk girls to have access too. Unfortunately, most of our views of ourselves in relationships come very second handed, patriarchally influenced and yt washed. I felt there was a blindspot missing in media, and I wanted to fill it. Naturally as a blk femme myself, such topics were instilled in me fear and shame based. I had to learn autonomy over my body, the privilege of choice, and how my being comes into interaction with community, the world, and myself. After my first book of poems, COMMANDO, was published bye Haymarket Books, Fall of 2017, I wanted to figure out how I can translate my new learnings, while navigating a young growing community behind me. And so, I created my show.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
Well, I’m an artist, meaning multi-hyphenate. Poetry, visual art, film/media maker, producer, musician, ballroom star, I can go on, humbly. Educator as in my passion and profession. Been a teaching artist since I was 14. Started teaching poetry in south side elementary schools, through and organization named Kuumba Lynx. As a youth participant and championed poetry competition winner with them in Louder Than A Bomb (now known as Rooted & Radical), they graced me with my first opportunity to be an educator. Continuing on being a student “of the work”, I continued to write and be prepped through Young Chicago Authors, as a student, and taking small teaching gigs throughout the city. Through pure dedication and commitment to talent, I became the first Youth Poet Laureate of Chicago in 2016. 19 years old and I get my first collection of poems published by Haymarket Books! My how time flies… 13 years later, I have grown to be a program manager at YCA, and lead and facilitate artistic and creative writing apprenticeships and programs from youth to polish and curate bodies of work while developing and honing their writing skills.
I’m very appreciative that my passions have aligned a career path for me. The access to arts education really has shifted how I navigate the world, and given me many adoptive practices that develop the lenses I live through. Which brings me to my next title, “hood-womanist”, a term I coined personally.
I personally believe that you cannot consider yourself a feminist if you hold no intersectionality. And I believe we all know that the Contemporary Feminist Movement, didn’t include queer/women of color. Alice Walker, Angela Davis, etc, created or curated such a term that defines the blk woman’s plight & fight. And that fight, that vigor, that livelihood we share is an experience only of our own. How do we beat the oppressive system, that live within and outside our own communities. And my art, my word, my truth, speaks to the blk femmes/flks who are matriarchs of the hood, in whatever way shape or capacity. And this is a driving force for my show.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
A lesson I had to unlearn was waiting for permission to make different art. When one avenue or aortic practice has really paved a successful pathway for yourself, you can easily find yourself pigeonholing yourself. And though it not the fear of practicing new art or trying, you doubt peoples capacity for you. And though mentorship is incredible and helpful, you find yourself seeking their green-lighting to your new ideas. You begin to doubt the multitudes of you, and get comfortable in what you know. “I know I’m a good poet, but will people think I’m a good visual artist.”
“I know I’m a good poet, but will people support my music how they do my poetry?”
But how quickly do we forget about the concept of “loyal fanbases”. People especially blk people, are so ready to see more from our own. It’s a need. Being able to be a successful poet, I was able to transfer their supportive energy to a new lane. One that offers them more sides of me, a reciprocal relationship.
Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?
The Artist’s Way. By Julia Cameron. Speaking of getting past artistic insecurities, this book helps me develop so many personal practices. The goal of this book is to really highlight our inner artist child, who is the most accurate part of us. And the more we give ourselves space and permission to live in our youthful artistic truth, the more we find ourselves closer or living the life we want to live. You do morning pages, which is a mediative practice, prompts, and weekly check-ins. This book is so necessary and really motivates how I develop my teaching curriculum, giving other people more skill they can learn alongside their poetry.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @laurenlikepolo
- Facebook: E’mon Lauren Black
- Twitter: @laurenlikepolo
- Youtube: YouTube.com/@laurenlikepolo
- Other: anchor.fm/hoodwivesofchi
Image Credits
Carlo Liou Oriana Koren Iman Ogundeko