Poetry in Indianapolis: impact, influence and empathy

April is National Poetry Month, and Indianapolis’ poetry scene has deep roots in Black culture. Indianapolis-based poets Etheridge Knight and Mari Evans were both well-renowned writers who helped shape the Black Arts Movement in Naptown. Their work inspired many of Indy’s current poets and opened the doors for those who came after, said multi-hyphenated artist and educator Manon Voice. “I want to always think about the ancestral lineage of poetry in Indianapolis, and … the Black poetry scene in Indianapolis would not be possible without Mari Evans and Etheridge Knight who are both pioneers of the Black Arts Movement,” Voice said. “Thankfully, they are being recognized more and more in our time. Sometimes it takes us a while to recognize the people who are trailblazing, opening up doors in their time.” When looking at the history of poetry in America, Phillis Wheatly was the first African American woman to have a book of poems published, Voice said. Wheatley, who had to prove her work was really hers in court, “wrote her way through slavery” and purchased her freedom, Voice said. The tradition of poetry and using words through storytelling has existed in the African Diaspora long before slavery, Voice said....