Blacklisted

In her introductory collection of poetry, Aliya Armstrong offers the reader an opportunity to experience a myriad of emotions — from laughter to tears, from thought-provoking to conviction. Her personal experiences of triumphs and trials permeate the text and results in a work that captivates and connects with audiences on both an emotional and conscious level. Blacklisted unlocks countless doors of opportunities and dispels myths. Society has often associated "Black" with terms that have such negative connotations like death, evil, ugly, aggression. Black is beautiful. In fact, on the color wheel, black is needed to make all other colors, but in order to make black, it requires no assistance. Imagine that!Black is endurance, determination, power, strength, and ingenuity. To be Blacklisted is to be set apart, ostracized, and silenced. Silence is violence, so the impetus behind beautifying black is using your weapon in a contructive way. The weapon is your voice and your words. Your words have power.