she finally put into poetry the experiences that once tried to traumatize her into silence.
Sunkissed Child: Poetry in Black Life showcases an incredibly impactful, heartfelt, and healing journey about a Black Woman’s personal experiences facing the hardships of living in an anti-black world, all while attempting to bring forth change, upkeep her own mental health and well being, and experience joy despite these circumstances. This captivating collection speaks to the many struggles Black Womxn have faced for generations, as well as the generational struggle of upkeeping health, safety, joy, and life in the anti-black world.
Etes paints a full picture of Black life; from poems that shed light to the heavy experiences of navigating as a Black Woman in underserved communities, to the impacts of such on Black Womxn’s mental and emotional well-being, to how connecting with those who came before them is a must for creating beautiful lives amidst the spiritual, emotional and mental battles they may be experiencing.
And through this connection, they will see that creating radical change is not only dependent on their survival, but is their survival, and that they can, therefore, immerse themselves in healing and love. Not only as a form of sustaining their resistance, but also as a form of healing the emotional, mental, physical and spiritual trauma the anti-black world has caused them so that they may enjoy this life as they should.
In her debut poetry book, Etes reminds Black Womxn that they are not alone, their struggles do not go unnoticed, and that they have always been, and how they can continue to be, beautiful, talented, revolutionary, lightworkers in this anti-black world.