"The Razor's Retort" A Black History Month 2025 Poetry Project (pt. 1)

Persona poems written in the voice of Civil Rights era Black barbershops. First entry: "The Open Chair Awaits Tommy Smith and John Carlos with a Hero’s Welcome."

October 16, 1968: After winning first and third place, respectively, at the Olympics in Mexico City, Tommy Smith and John Carlos raise clenched fists in solidarity with other Black Americans. As a result, both are suspended.

The Open Chair Awaits Tommie Smith and John Carlos with a Hero’s Welcome