Poet, author to recite poem about Charleston church massacre in A&E show on Nov. 20

CHARLESTON, SC — Marcus Amaker, a Charleston poet and author, will read his poem, “Black Cloth,” as part of the televised special “Conversations on Race in America” following the “Shining a Light: A Concert for Progress on Race in America,” sponsored by A&E, United Way and iHeart Media. The one-hour special will air on A&E at 10 p.m. (EST) on Nov. 20 and will feature commentary from the concert artists and residents of Charleston, Ferguson, Baltimore and Chicago.

The special will include Pharrell Williams and John Legend discussing racial inequality and violence along with residents of the most recent affected communities. The idea is for the musicians to engage in a dialogue with people in these cities “with varying perspectives, including family members of victims, community leaders, law enforcement officials, clergy and organizations seeking to empower communities by fostering understanding, eliminating bias and addressing inequalities that break along racial lines,” according to A&E’s statement.

Williams visited and taped a performance earlier this month at the South Carolina church where nine black parishioners were shot and killed on June 17. It was during this taping in Charleston that Amaker was invited to share his poem.

Amaker wrote the poem, which is included in his latest book, “Mantra,” as a personal tribute to the victims of the shooting at Mother Enamuel AME Church in downtown Charleston.

“Everyone in the community was struggling to find answers,” Amaker says. “For me, answers come in the form of words that flow from my conscience.

“So, I turned to my art and from my pain came ‘Black Cloth.’ To be able to watch something so deeply personal grow from a message to our local community to a message shared with the millions of A&E viewers is an incredible honor.”

A&E’s producer contacted Amaker after being referred by local artisans in the Charleston community. Amaker has a long history of creating, sharing and inspiring poetry throughout the city of Charleston and beyond. Most recently, Amaker released an interactive poetry book that includes the poem featured on the upcoming A&E show.

“Mantra” is a 105-page book of poetry, featuring new poems about the Holy City, feminism, meditation, social justice, Walter Scott, Denmark Vessey, love and more. The book’s graphic design is visually powerful, with photography and hand-written poetry that encourages readers to actively engage in the poetry by taking notes, writing personal mantras, taking pictures and sharing through social media networks.

“It’s amazing to see how poetry impacts people,” Amaker says. “I’m blessed to be a part of a larger movement toward honest conversations. I encourage people to start expressing themselves and to not be afraid to be uncomfortable.”

Amaker also is asking readers and the general public to submit their own mantras for publication. These can be submitted online at mantrapoems.com.

ABOUT MARCUS AMAKER

Marcus Amaker is an award-winning web designer, graphic designer, videographer, musician and author. He started a design business in 2011 after 12 years in journalism, including three years as editor of The Post and Courier‘s weekly arts newspapers, Preview and Charleston Scene. Amaker has published six books of poetry and toured the country performing on national television. His poems can be found in several volumes, including “Home Is Where: An Anthology of African American Poetry from the Carolinas,” “Seeking: Poetry and Prose Inspired by the Art of Jonathan Green” and “My South: A People, A Place, A World of Its Own.” The Mantra mobile app is available for iPhone and Android devices and an audio version of the book is available at mantrapoems.com. Follow Mantra, instagram.com/mantrapoems.