Uncovered

Uncovered
Aneesah Lawrence

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Read by Aneesah Lawrence
My Blackness is an intersection between Black Muslim and woman 
A triple threat of no regrets 
Nor will I forget the debt that my ancestors paid for me to be here 
I walk as a silhouette 
Some know me to be a duet so they call me the Melanin Hijabi 
My Blackness is not simply synonymous with struggle, racism and pain Because my Blackness is a dichotomy and honestly on the other side of that is love 
Breaking rules is my speciality 
And i'm so smooth the way I execute is never a criminality 
I know your thinking how my words flow so organically 
I attribute all greatness to Allah 
Ar-Raheem, Al-Quddus, Al-Muhaymin 
And sporadically he sprinkles some of his phonominality my way 
Someone once told me my Blackness carries a negative connotation 
A narrative that paints Black as having no time to love 
They said you are rebellious for doing so 
My Blackness replied If I’m a rebel than I’ll be the Malcom X to your Martin Luther King Because my Blackness shines so bright that it is lovable in fall, winter, summer, and spring And the love that I have for my Blackness ain't just a fling 
Baby this thing is everlasting 
So who are you to tell me I am unlovable

About the Poem

Uncovered is a poem about the reality of a Black Muslim woman. It uses Islam to speak to the horrific realities faced by Black Americans while not victimizing them but liberating them for their experience. The piece delves into the dichotomy that is the Black experience. The entire piece works to rewrite a narrative and humanize Black Muslim women while painting them as individuals who are not only able to love but are loveable. Even when that love is looked at as an act of rebellion.

Author Information

Aneesah Lawrence is a freshman honors student at Howard University. She is a double major in Psychology and Criminology, a passionate activist, and a spoken word artist. Her poetry is an amalgamation of the Black experience, Islam, and personal narratives. Aneesah’s poems include Uncovered, Target Practice, and My Black Skin Says. She has performed her works at Howard University (Washington, DC), Sankofa Video Books & Café (Washington, DC), Art all Night 2022 (Washington, DC), and various open mics in her hometown, Jersey City, New Jersey.

Lawrence is the 2022 winner of Muslim Culture Con’s Open Mic held at the Muslim Journal’s “A Time To Be Grateful” annual fundraiser. Her career aspiration is to become a psychologist serving Black urban youth in juvenile correctional facilities and high-risk communities.

Lawrence serves as a first-year representative for Howard University’s Muslim Student Association. She is a member of the university’s Youth Justice Advocates. As an advocate, she is able to enter juvenile corrections facilities in D.C. and mentor Black youth.

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Fanni is Radnóti's wife
Located near the Tang capital city of Chang’an, site of the modern city of Xi’an in Shaanxi province, in central China.
Soldiers of that time commonly wore a white head cloth, similar to what is still worn by some peasants in China today.  The implication is that the conscripts were so young that they didn’t know how to wrap their head cloths, and needed help from elders.
Before China’s unification under the Qin dynasty in 221 B.C. there were several competing smaller kingdoms.  Han and Qin were two of these kingdoms. Han was located east of famous mountain passes that separated that area from the power base of the Qin dynasty, with its capital in Chang’an. The Qin dynasty itself only lasted about 15 years after unification due to its draconian rule, but soldiers under Qin rule retained a reputation as strong fighters.
The area of Guanxi, meaning “west of the passes”, refers to the area around the capital city of Chang’an.
This is an alternative name for a province in western China, now known as Qinghai, which literally means “blue sea”.  Kokonor Lake, located in Qinghai, is the largest saline lake in China.  
Before China’s unification under the Qin dynasty in 221 B.C. there were several competing smaller kingdoms.  Han and Qin were two of these kingdoms. Han was located east of famous mountain passes that separated that area from the power base of the Qin dynasty, with its capital in Chang’an. The Qin dynasty itself only lasted about 15 years after unification due to its draconian rule, but soldiers under Qin rule retained a reputation as strong fighters.
Oulart Hollow was the site of a famous victory of the Irish rebels over British troops, which took place on May 27, 1798. The rebels killed nearly all the British attackers in this battle. (Source: Maxwell, W. H. History of the Irish Rebellion in 1798. H. H. Bohn, London 1854, pp 92-93, at archive.org)
The phrase "United Men" is elaborated upon in the Notes section below.

Ghetto

An Italian word meaning “foundry.” It originally referred to a part of the city of Venice where the Jews of that city were forced to live; the area was called “the ghetto” because there was a foundry nearby. The term eventually came to refer to any part of a city in which a minority group is forced to live as a result of social, legal, or economic pressure. Because of the restrictions placed upon them, ghetto residents are often impoverished.

"You’re five nine, I am do-uble two"

A reference to the year 1959 and the year 2020.

"The Currency"

Meaning US dollars - this is drawing attention to the fact that Cuba is effectively dollarized.

"Sixty years with the dom-ino stuck"

This sentence is a reference to the Cold War notion that countries would turn Communist one after the other - like dominos. Cuba was the first domino, but it got stuck - no one else followed through into communism.

رحلنا

رحلنا, or "rahalna," means "we have left."

Habibi

Habibi means "my love."

Ra7eel

Ra7eel, or "raheel," means "departure."

3awda

3awda, or "awda," means "returning."

أهلاً

أهلاً, or "ahalan," means "welcome."

a5 ya baba

a5 ya baba, pronounced "akh ya baba," means "Oh my father."