MPR’s Paula Schroeder interviews Rochester poet Rose Harmon-Davis. They discuss poetry, race, and identity in the business world. Segment also includes reading of poem.
Rose Harmon-Davis book of poetry is titled “Seriously Incorporated.”
Transcript:
(00:00:00) There is an awful lot that you write in your poetry. That is understandable to me you right about a lot of things that are common to women people of color both male and
(00:00:14) female. The first thing we all have to do is accept the fact that we are human beings. It's just that the some reason we get classified and sectioned off and divide it and it just creates problems within itself. So it's very difficult to to share the dream of of a positive world when we've got so many different classes of them's going on and it would be great. If we didn't have them it
(00:00:51) occurs to me as I read your poetry that so much of it is about this sense of losing your own identity as he as you enter the corporate world that whatever you learned as a child you grew up in Tennessee raised by your mother and your grandmother raised to be strong and independent but a lot of the values that you have to assume that we assume you have to assume in the corporate world are not those that you grew up
(00:01:18) with the title of the book which is called seriously and cooperated was the title to a poem in the first book of poetry that I wrote about 10 or 11 years ago and that poem described how much of our own self identity we do give up in trying to fit in or choir or to be what's called successful in whatever Arena and I thought about that as a title for the book because Now more so than ever you're seeing more people of color as well as women that has made an entrance into some areas that perhaps traditionally have been denied access. But trying to survive it is the piece that's creating a lot of a lot of problems and there's still a lot of bias. There's still the Prejudice. There's still that particular Network which has been classified as edible and network which tends to exclude and we have been taught that in order to fit in we have to take on that particular culture for a long time. I want around colleges and universities and teaching to African American young people that they should do certain things in order to become inclusive of that system such as speak a certain way learn to play Golf and Tennis and things of that nature which will And make you a part of the team and in doing so there's nothing wrong with those things. It's just that we have kind of gotten away from some things perhaps that we would necessarily prefer doing. It stresses you out after three point. If you truly are giving up your own a
(00:03:13) daddy you write a poem about that tool called subtle racism that I'd like to read if I could. Had I written a poem for every weird look for every nasty undertone not to mention times disregarded discarded though visibly in attendance prompted by ignorance Envy insecurity more pitiful than offending had I written a poem depicting each of my own experiences of subtle racism by now. I would have quite a repertoire working as you do in Rochester. Do you find that subtle racism? Even more prevalent in the northern part of the country than it was in the
(00:03:54) South there was a time when I felt very comfortable making that kind of statement there was a time when it was it was evident that yes, it was more subtle in other places more so than the South but that's not true anymore other parts of the country have become just as over in their racial attitudes and behavior. So that's one that we can't blame on the south or take away anything from the south anymore. Or it's it's everywhere and it will continue I would imagine unless something miraculous happens because with the with the the problem that we've got in our society with economics those that tend to take it out on those that tend to be already oppressed generally is the method of operation.
(00:04:43) Well, it does seem to be on the increase everywhere. What do you tell I know that you you speak to a lot of high school groups as you said high school students, not only African American women but young people of all Races and what do you tell young people about what to expect in Corporate America and how to hang on to your own identity.
(00:05:07) Well, I'm calling them now is slightly different from what I used to tell them again. I used to tell That you should do these things and take on this particular culture. I don't anymore. I believe it's now time for young people to understand their identity appreciate their own culture. Not try and take on the behavior of someone else I a simple thing for example for young ladies. If you feel like wearing your hair braided where it braided for a long time, we were not so to speak aloud to do that and you know about some of the some of the cases and lawsuits that have come out of that and I can remember even when it was the afro hairstyle things like this until we start stepping up with what's our own identity and feeling comfortable with that. We we just tend to lose something that's very important than that their own health Heritage in our own
(00:06:07) culture well, and I can tell also just in reading your poetry that is important, too. Onto a sense of humor.
(00:06:14) Yes. Yes. Absolutely. You must you must and
(00:06:18) and to laugh at not only at some of the values and mores that you find amusing perhaps in that other world that's foreign to you. But at yourself as well. Can I there's one more that I just I found very amusing but I'd like to read if I could it's called Plastics Jones or credit card. Junkie and and this this cuts across all Races thought of having a party to celebrate the burning of all my Plastics so I charged a halt and refreshments. My wallet was too small to carry all those designer plastic Beauties. So I charged a larger one with Windows to easier find the Little Cuties. Feeling not so cute such a weight increase best to charge some dresses to camouflage Celluloid or take a healthy route to lick this fat boat. So just put those aerobics on my gold plastic, please life in the 90s. Yes. It's the same
(00:07:16) everywhere it is and that's and understanding the writings by The Way It Is cross-cultural by all means. It's just that naturally by my being African-American. Some of them are More personal there are some that are specifically geared to African-American men. There are some that are specifically the section called Beyond watercolors. It's it's a concern that I have in terms of the young people. So generally when I do a reading in schools, those are some of the bones that I will concentrate on sharing with the high school students, and of course, there's the when I first fall in love section, yes. Romantic
(00:08:00) the reason most poetry begins to exist at first
(00:08:03) place.
Transcripts
text | pdf |
PAULA SCHROEDER: There is an awful lot that you write in your poetry that is understandable to me.
[LAUGHTER]
You write about a lot of things that are common to women, people of color, both male and female.
ROSE HARMON-DAVIS: Right. I think that the first thing we all have to do is accept the fact that we are human beings. It's just that for some reason, we get classified and sectioned off and divided, and that just creates problems within itself. So it's very difficult to share the dream of a positive world when we've got so many different classisms going on. And it would be great if we didn't have them.
PAULA SCHROEDER: It occurs to me, as I read your poetry, that so much of it is about this sense of losing your own identity as you enter the corporate world. That whatever you learned as a child-- you grew up in Tennessee, raised by your mother and your grandmother, raised to be strong and independent. But a lot of the values that you have to assume-- that we assume you have to assume in the corporate world, are not those that you grew up with.
ROSE HARMON-DAVIS: Right. The title of the book, which is called Seriously Incorporated, was the title to a poem in the first book of poetry that I wrote about 10 or 11 years ago. And that poem described how much of our own self-identity we do give up in trying to fit in or acquire or to be what's called successful in whatever arena.
And I thought about that as the title for the book because now, more so than ever, you're seeing more people of color as well as women that have made an entrance into some areas that perhaps traditionally have been denied access. But trying to survive it is the piece that's creating a lot of problems. And there's still a lot of bias. There's still the prejudice. There's still that particular network, which has been classified as attaboy network, which tends to exclude.
And we have been taught that in order to fit in, we have to take on that particular culture. For a long time, I went around to colleges and universities and teaching to African-American young people that they should do certain things in order to become inclusive of that system, such as speak a certain way, learn to play golf and tennis, and things of that nature which will then make you part of the team.
And in doing so-- there's nothing wrong with those things. It's just that we have gotten away from some things perhaps that we wouldn't necessarily prefer doing. And it stresses you out after a certain point if you truly are giving up your own identity.
PAULA SCHROEDER: You write a poem about that too called "Subtle Racism" that I'd like to read--
ROSE HARMON-DAVIS: OK.
PAULA SCHROEDER: --if I could.
"Had I written a poem for every weird look, for every nasty undertone,
Not to mention times disregarded, discarded, though visibly in attendance,
Prompted by ignorance, envy, insecurity, more pitiful than offending.
Had I written a poem depicting each of my own experiences of subtle racism, by now, I would have quite a repertoire."
Working as you do in Rochester, do you find that subtle racism even more prevalent in the northern part of the country than it was in the South?
ROSE HARMON-DAVIS: There was a time when I felt very comfortable making that kind of statement. There was a time when it was evident that, yes it was more subtle in other places, more so than the South. But that's not true anymore. Other parts of the country have become just as overt in their racial attitudes and behavior.
So that's one that we can't blame on the South or take away anything from the South anymore. It's everywhere. And it will continue, I would imagine, unless something miraculous happens because with the-- the problem that we've got in our society with economics those that tend to take it out on those that tend to be already oppressed generally is the method of operation.
PAULA SCHROEDER: Well, it does seem to be on the increase everywhere.
ROSE HARMON-DAVIS: It is.
PAULA SCHROEDER: What do you tell-- I know that you speak to a lot of high school groups, as you said, high school students-- not only African-American women but young people of all races and-- what do you tell young people about what to expect in corporate America and how to hang on to your own identity?
ROSE HARMON-DAVIS: What I'm telling them now is slightly different from what I used to tell them. Again, I used to tell them that you should do these things and take on this particular culture. I don't anymore. I believe it's now time for young people to understand their identity, appreciate their own culture, not try and take on the behavior of someone else. A simple thing for example for young ladies, if you feel like wearing your hair braided, wear it braided.
For a long time, we were not, so to speak, allowed to do that. And you know about some of the cases and lawsuits that have come out of that. And I can remember even when it was the Afro hairstyle, things like this. Until we start stepping up with what's our own identity and feeling comfortable with that, we just tend to lose something that's very important and that's our own heritage and our own culture.
PAULA SCHROEDER: Well, and I can tell also just in reading your poetry that it's important to hang on to a sense of humor.
ROSE HARMON-DAVIS: Yes. Yes, absolutely.
[LAUGHTER]
You must. You must.
PAULA SCHROEDER: And to laugh at not only at some of the values and mores that you find amusing perhaps in that other world that's foreign to you, but at yourself as well.
ROSE HARMON-DAVIS: Mhm You do.
PAULA SCHROEDER: There's one more that I just-- I found very amusing that I'd like to read if I could. It's called "Plastics Jones or Credit Card Junkie".
ROSE HARMON-DAVIS: Yes.
PAULA SCHROEDER: And this cuts across all races.
"Thought of having a party to celebrate the burning of all my plastics, so I charged a hall and refreshments.
My wallet was too small to carry all those designer plastic beauties, so I charged a larger one with windows to easier find the little cuties.
Feeling not so cute, such a weight increase, best to charge some dresses to camouflage celluloid, or take a healthy root to lick this fat bout. So just put those aerobics on my gold plastic please."
[LAUGHTER]
Life in the '90s.
ROSE HARMON-DAVIS: Oh, yes.
PAULA SCHROEDER: Yes, it's the same everywhere.
ROSE HARMON-DAVIS: It is. In understanding the writings, by the way, it is cross-cultural by all means. It's just that naturally by my being African-American, some of them are a little more personal. There are some that are specifically geared to African-American men.
There are some that are specifically-- the section called Beyond Watercolors, it's a concern that I have in terms of the young people. So generally when I do a reading in school, those are some of the poems that I will concentrate on sharing with the high school students. And, of course, there's the when I first fall in love section--
PAULA SCHROEDER: Yes
ROSE HARMON-DAVIS: --deals more from a romantic side. And--
PAULA SCHROEDER: The reason most poetry begins to exist in the first place.
ROSE HARMON-DAVIS: Yes. Yes, it is.