(dey/dem)
Photo: Talecia Tucker
"NOVA CYPRESS BLACK began the series of poems "no apologies for my delayed response," two weeks into New York State’s stay-at-home order, which coincided with April’s National Poetry Month. The poems became a way to not only react to emotions, headlines, and the empty niceties of workplace culture, but also a way to mark the time in isolation. Along with works by the other teaching artists Tasha Dougé and Gabriel Ramirez, Black’s series of poems makes up part of “What Connects?,” a collection of poems and images that collectively critique the inequities on display in America’s management of and response to the COVID-19 pandemic. All three artists embody DIS OBEY’s spirit of protest through creative action, drawing attention to the impact of our society’s reactions to the virus on Black and Brown communities and lives."