Mustafa Santiago Ali
Dr. Mustafa Santiago Ali is the Executive Vice President of Conservation & Justice for the National Wildlife Federation (NWF), former Interim Chief of Programs at the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS), and Instructor at American University. He is the Founder and CEO of Revitalization Strategies. He also serves as a commissioner for The American Academy of Arts and Sciences (AAAS). He is an award-winning writer and poet focused on social justice. Dr. Ali is frequently seen on television, including appearances on MSNBC, ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, VICE, FUSE, BET, National Geographic, Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, and Democracy NOW! Mustafa is also a regular guest on Roland Martin Unfiltered, Black News Channel, Tavis Smiley Show, The Dean Obeidallah Show, and many others…
Editor's Note: This poem is the 123 th in our Democracy and Hope Series. This series will highlight hopeful aspects about our Democracy using various genres including poems
don’t let the silence trick you— you been whole since birth, braided in brilliance, birthed from black earth & stardust prayers your grandmama whispered over collard greens & candles.
you are the poem before it’s written, the answer to a question this world keeps forgetting— how beauty bends but don’t break, how survival sings in the key of grace.
your laugh is a revolution. your scars are not shame— they’re maps, directions back to your name.
beloved, even when they ghost you, even when they frame your softness as something to shame— remember: ain’t no lie strong enough to eclipse your flame.
you are enough. not when you prove it. not when they say so. now. always. because. you. exist.
©️MustafaSantiagoAli
#Poetry #Healing #Art