Roberta Flack, Dawn Richard, Rep. Maxine Waters, former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot and author Danyel Smith and more are featured on a new tribute album to women of color, released on Tuesday on Atlantic Records.
“On Imagination” also features Valerie Simpson and Valerie June, according to Variety. The featured speakers read poetry by June Jordan, Gwendolyn Bennett, Phillis Wheatley, Georgia Douglas Johnson and others. The project was produced by singer-songwriter Ebonie Smith.
A special performance of Jordan’s 1982 poem, “Moving Towards Home,” is read by activist and author Dr. Angela Davis on the album, which was first presented in celebration of Juneteenth, according to Variety.
“The poems on this album are restorative,” Ebonie Smith said. “They helped me heal and recenter after Covid. The language is challenging, requiring the listener to work for a deeper understanding, but those who make the effort will find the words of these poets truly powerful and transformative.”
She went on to talk about the poems’ effect on her after the 2022 murder of rapper Takeoff, a founding member of the group Migos. “In the wake of Takeoff’s passing, I turned to these poems to help me heal and make sense of the deaths occurring in and around hip-hop culture. The language on this album helped me find strength during that time.”
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Check out the tracklist, per Variety:
1. “Dare to Dream” (2022) – written by Genesis Briggs and performed by Genesis Be
2. “She Came Home Blameless” (1971) – written by Maya Angelou and performed by Roberta Flack and Valerie Simpson
3. “Calling Dreams” (1920) – written by Georgia Douglas Johnson and performed by Flyana Boss
4. “Songs For The People” (1895) – written by Frances Ellen Watkins Harper and performed by Lori Lightfoot
5. “On Imagination” (1773) – written by Phillis Wheatley and performed by Danyel Smith
6. “Make My Name” (2023) – written by adrienne maree brown and performed by Representative Maxine Waters
7. “Douce Souvenance” (1920) – written by Jessie Redmon Fauset and performed by Ebonie Smith
8. “Double Standard” (1895) – written by Frances Ellen Watkins Harper and performed by Divinity Roxx
9. “Fantasy” (1927) – written by Gwendolyn Benne and performed by Dawn Richard
10. “Moving Toward Home” (1982) – written by June Jordan and performed by Dr. Angela Y. Davis
11. “On the Death of a Gentlemen” (1773) – written by Phillis Wheatley and performed by Tarriona “Tank” Ball
12. “I Sit and Sew” (1918) – written by Alice Moore Dunbar-Nelson and performed by Valerie June
