Born in West Africa around 1753, Phillis Wheatley was brought to America on a slave ship from which she was given her first name, at approximately eight years of age. Too sickly to be dropped off in the Caribbean, she was sent to Boston. Ailing, naked save a carpet remnant, and experiencing tooth exfoliation, she was sold for a pittance to the Wheatley family.
Despite trauma and her desperate situation, Wheatley, who received a classical Western education from her enslavers, became the first person of African descent to publish a book of poetry. In 1773, the child prodigy’s “Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral” was published to critical acclaim, especially from American and British abolitionists keen to prove the intellectual equality of African-descended people.
On Friday March 22, Echoes of Freedom: A Tribute to Phillis Wheatley, will be hosted by AFROPUNK and Lincoln Center. The event takes place at The Appel Room, Jazz at Lincoln Center. According to the press release, “The event is part of Lincoln Center’s American Songbook, which celebrates our shared musical inheritance by spotlighting change makers throughout history.” Lincoln Center’s website adds that the event “will feature songs performed by multi-instrumental composer aden, collaborative recitations of Wheatley’s work by Lincoln Center’s poet-in-residence Mahogany L. Browne, and a concert by Afrofuturist artist and Grammy-nominated jazz trumpeter and composer Theo Croker.”
Allen T. Lamb, head of AFROPUNK Worldwide LLC., said via email, “AFROPUNK sought to curate a creative collision with Lincoln Center’s longstanding American Songbook series to offer a performance that is both celebratory and thought provoking, filtered through the lens of the resilience and joy of Black people in America.”
Though she was rarely published due to discrimination, Wheatley was a prolific poet, much of her work written before she reached adulthood. In addition to classical and neoclassical techniques, Wheatley’s moving and impactful poetry was imbued with biblical symbolism and directly and indirectly implored readers to acknowledge the inhumanity of slavery.
So taken with her work was America’s first president, George Washington, that he corresponded with her, closing his letter with the staggering “…your obedient and humble servant.” Other well known colonial-era personalities such as John Hancock and Benjamin Rush were also impressed with her work.
Browne, who has published numerous poetry collections, told Amsterdam News via email, “Phillis Wheatley’s story as a poet and the lack of respect she endured because of her being a Black free woman in the U.S. with the language to challenge the intricacies made her a threat. It’s very similar to what I’ve experienced.”
Browne also discussed her own evolution as a poet because of Wheatley’s work, and the impact of Wheatley’s work from the standpoint of Black liberation. “My recitation of her work in conversation with my own is a full circle moment. When I was first introduced to her work in high school, it didn’t vibrate the same. The language felt foreign and it was [not until]many years later, I realized her anti-slavery, and fight against inequality using poetry was the exact bedrock that contemporary poets are anchored by today.”
Lambe had a similar evolution. “Phillis Wheatley’s works have been a mainstay in my lexicon, growing up in a family steeped with Black educators and historians. But a resurgence of my awareness arrived upon reading about the National Museum of African American History and Culture’s (NMAAHC) acquisition of a trove of her works in September 2023,” he told Amsterdam News.
Lamb pointed out that this celebration of Wheatley’s work is important in a number of ways, including continuing to validate it. He explained that although her intellect was acknowledged by many, Wheatley also suffered indignities from many detractors. “There was an active undercurrent,” he said, “that she had not actually authored her poems.” Lamb highlighted Thomas Jefferson’s statement in his “ Notes on the State of Virginia.” “He said, ‘Religion indeed has produced a Phillis Wheatley; but it could not produce a poet. The compositions published under her name are below the dignity of criticism.’”
Wheatley was also criticized by members of the Black literati for many years after her death. Perhaps overlooking her age at the time she was kidnapped from Africa, James Weldon Johnson lambasted her most famous poem, “On Being Brought From Africa to America” saying she “exhibited smug contentment at her own escape.”
Lamb further clarified AFROPUNK’s motivation for participating in this event. “The Smithsonian’s curation of manuscripts written in her own hand move in defiance of historical attempts to minimize her impact. AFROPUNK’s collaboration with Lincoln Center is in this same spirit.” He added that he hopes “the audience departs newly inspired about their role in enhancing the ‘future of’ and ‘freedom to’ as it relates to Black American culture today.”
Browne predicted that ultimately, the audience will be transformed by the beauty of Wheatley’s work. “The work of Phillis Wheatley has a heartbeat. It’s given so many of us a wingspan beyond our imagination. Her work informs music, language, and policy. Lean into this knowing and be changed.”
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