PUBLISHING FOR THE PEOPLE DEM.


We are free

By: Shahaddah Jack



Our stories live here
Between histories of stolen people and stolen land
Our stories live here
Between hidden legacies and burned down family trees
Our stories live here
Between forgotten freedoms and oppression filled systems
We live in the stories that may never be told in our history books
We live in the generations we could’ve only once envisioned
We live in lost languages and appropriated traditions
We live in the cries for freedom that existed long before the birth of emancipation
We live in buried empires and crucified kingdoms
We live in unsung hymns and unremembered victims
We live in the resilience of liberation and broken proclamations
We live in chains undone and battles won

We are
the survivors of stolen tongues and colonized existences
We are
the strength of our ancestors rippling between sea and sand which remains infinite
We are
the dreams of a people that refused to be drowned out of rising generations
We are
the reclamation of stories that echo within remembering waters
We are
the deafening waves that crash so loud until our truths are told
We are
the whispers of a movement that pushes for change to unfold
We are mothers
We are daughters
We are fathers
We are brothers

We are community
We are legacy
We are history
We are free



Meet Shahaddah Jack, a 20-year-old bilingual spoken word poet, performer, human rights activist, and student of life from Tkaronto. Recently releasing her debut single “My Mother’s Daughter,” she has graced 100+ stages, including the renowned history stage. Shahaddah, a proud graduate of the remix project, weaves her diverse cultural background into her powerful poetry, addressing human rights, the black experience, and the challenges of adolescence. Named BGC Canada’s 2022 National Youth of the Year and recognized as one of Streets of Toronto’s most inspirational women of 2022, Shahaddah invites you to explore her world through her debut book, “Underrated Royalty,” available on Amazon.