You left warning days vital as nights.

Evans felt that Black art and the Black Art Movement was key to awakening black consciousness which would help people ‘become’ Black. Her work wasn’t like many other Black literaturists during this time. She states her work speaks to Black people not for Black people. Although all of this might sound confusing because it seems that a lot of Black poets’ focus was also Evans focus, but the thing that stuck out more was the fact that she was helping Black people become more Black--she felt as if Black people, although “free,” were still chained to this white American mindset that was stopping them from achieving the highest rank of Black consciousness, from which she has reached. This of course adds onto the abuse and violence she writes about in her poetry (Matthews). 

• High tea • “ I am a black woman tall as a cypress strong beyond all definition still defying place and time and circumstance assailed impervious indestructible Look on me and be renewed “ - #MariEvans Thanks to @dorotheahodge and @clariscia_cg I am discovering some wonderful kindred spirits. Ladies we need to not be scared of taking that “me” time and talk with one another. Share our stories. Listen to one another. It’s important for our sanity and also we need to see the beauty in “us”. It’s a #sisterhood. The links have to be maintained to be strong. (at Queen Esther Spa) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bpt3BAplRDL/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1okead1ukq8ie

We Remember! #MariEvans (at Boston Common)

“I will bring you a whole person!” #MariEvans #poetry #selflove #retrainingtheEYE #gratitude #iamtashajones #repost (at Springfield, Massachusetts)

I'd like to dedicate this post to my brother @thotcreations. When we were kids, we used to love this pamphlet. It was published in 1974 and written by Mari Evans and was made with the sole purpose of creating self-love in black children. I can remember shouting out loud with my brother "It's nation time!" It even talks about healthy eating and loving your neighbors. Seriously a happy blast from the past. My childhood was really THE BEST. My mom says it was a gift from our aunt @imissalta. #goodtimes #itsnationtime #marievans #thirdworldpress #selflove #hellobrotherhellosister

This Mari Evans. One of Indianapolis’ best residents (since 1947 until her passing. She was an architect of the Black Arts Movement as a writer, probably most well known for her poetry. @djkylelong interviewed her for @nuvoindy in 2015 and you should read that for some of her wisdom. She was also an educator and worked at many universities including Purdue University, Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI), Indiana University Bloomington, and Cornell University. It is unrealistic for me to capture her excellence in this space but one quote from her about Indianapolis (where I live, serve, create, and love) stands out to me. “What we find is that racism, in this up-South city at the end of the twentieth century, is like a steel strand encased in nylon then covered in some luxurious fabric...The intent is to avoid, if possible, blatant offenses, to soothe, mollify, if necessary dissemble — while racism, the steel strand, still effectively does the job.” I #loveindy and I love the Circle City enough to be honest and her assessment is pretty fair to me. Her honesty and direct expressions in her work are inspiring. I included her collected works, “Continuum”, on my holiday guide that @amybartner asked me for a few years ago and it is great. If you write, you need to dig on her work. If you read, you need to dig on her work. She’s more than the lady in the mural on Mass Ave., so much more than that. Her courage with the pen and beyond is a lasting inspiration. Long live Mari Evans, may her work always find an audience. #marievans #blackhistorymonth #jaaamaccordingly