Tania De’Shawn made a name for herself in Birmingham’s literary community with the release of her poetry collection Be Gentle with Black Girls. Now, as the Eco Poetry Fellow for the Magic City Poetry Festival, the Birmingham native is busy helping other emerging writers. She’s organized two programs — Poetry at Park Place and Paris Avenue Writers Group — to help writers get their work out into the world. For Tania, poetry isn’t for the elite, but for everyone. Meet our newest FACE of Birmingham and one of the area’s emerging black female poets, Tania De’Shawn.
How did you get into writing poetry?
I started learning how to read and write a little later because of our school system. But I remember when I was in first grade, I wrote my first sentence, and I was so amazed at it. It felt like magic to me. There was nothing here, and now there’s something here, and I wrote it with my own hand. I was like, I want to feel this way forever. Later in high school, I took a writing workshop during a summer camp at the Alabama School of Fine Arts. And when I went to Berea College in Kentucky, I also took a writing class with Crystal Wilkinson.
What inspired you to write Be Gentle with Black Girls?
I started writing it during the pandemic. I was lonely. I had just moved back to Alabama from Kentucky, and I was looking for a project to ground me when the world felt very chaotic. I found this study called “Girlhood Interrupted,” which was conducted by the Georgetown Law Center on Poverty and Inequality. They found statistical evidence to support that Black girls are seen to need less love, less protection, and less guidance and support.
I want other people to know that it’s okay for us to support Black girls, and even if they don’t look like they need the support, they still do. But I wasn’t writing this to plead with white America or men about why Black girls should be supported and seen as human beings. I wrote this specifically for Black girls and Black women.
What messages did you want to give to Black girls and women?
One of the topics of the book is body image, specifically hyper-sexualization. I want Black girls to know that your body is okay the way it is. You don’t have to let someone else’s perspective on you determine how you behave. You still get to be yourself. You still get to enjoy your childhood, even if people are telling you otherwise.
I go into eating disorders within the Black community. Black women, or Black people in general, are more likely to be obese. But people don’t look at overindulgence or binging as an eating disorder. It’s not really taken as seriously. I want us to look at how we can celebrate our bodies. We can tend to our bodies, and in that, we’re also tending to our souls.
And when I think about motherhood, there’s the strong Black woman stereotype of where you have to bear it all. You feel like the world is on your shoulders. Black women are exhausted and need support.
By day, you handle social media and outreach for the Alabama Humanities Alliance. How do you still make time to write?
I create non-negotiable time. So, if I say that for four hours on Saturday, I’m writing, reading, or creating a mood board for a project, that’s what I’m doing. But whenever a piece of inspiration hits me, I’m on my phone typing in my notes. I have notebooks and sticky notes everywhere.
Community is also big for me. I always say, “Join a writing community.” Pay for a class or just find two friends to sit and write with at a table. External motivators matter.
Speaking of community, tell us more about Poetry at Park Place.
I am the Eco-Light Poet for the Magic City Poetry Festival and as part of that fellowship, I’m charged with creating free programming. Poetry on Park Place takes place at the Birmingham Public Library Central branch. Our theme is anthems for Birmingham. We’re going through literature by Alabama writers and learning literary devices.
How does Poetry at Park Place differ from your other Paris Avenue Writers Group program?
Poetry at Park Place is about just getting the writing on a piece of paper. Paris Avenue Writers Group is all about goal setting and becoming the writer you want to be. It’s building your artistic portfolio and answering questions like, How do I apply for a grant, and what defines me as a writer?
Magic City Poetry Festival is built on the idea that poetry is for everybody. Why do you think poetry is for everyone?
No one can really tell you that your poem is not a poem. There’s free verse. And I don’t care if it’s just periods on the page. If that’s a poem for you, it’s a poem. You don’t even need a pencil, pen, or piece of paper anymore. If you have a phone in your hand, you can write poetry. If you have a social media platform, you can share your poetry. There are so few boundaries around how you can write, formulate, and then deliver a poem. On a spiritual level, I feel like poetry is one of those things that connects us all. Everyone has had a poem that has affected their life. In the Black community, a poem like “Still I Rise” by Maya Angelou has been a huge connector.
What do you like to do when you’re not working?
I like to nap. I like seeing new things. I am so amused by little things. I love going on walks at random places and taking pictures, especially if I see an animal. And I like having good conversations with my friends about different things.
What are some of your favorite places in Birmingham?
For shows, I like to go to the Alys Stephens Center because they always have a good variety of things. I love going to shows. I don’t care if it’s dancing, singing, or the orchestra — those things feed me.
I also love Harvest Roots. I love going there for their kombucha, and if you’d like to work there, they have really big tables.
I’m obsessed with Cannella Gelato. They always have the best gelato flavors.
What’s the best advice you’ve been given or that you have to offer?
“Fat floats.” It comes from when I was in college, and I was terrified of swimming. I now say this to myself when I’m getting ready to do something scary. You’d be surprised that sometimes it’s those things you’re most insecure about that will carry you through. I’ve seen someone do a whole poem set based on a lisp, and it was so good!
Other than faith, family, and friends, name three things you can’t live without.
The Lip Bar’s Hot Mama lip color, my princess pens with the fluffy tops, and Exalting In Beauty Earrings.
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