Blog 3

Suheir Hammad is a powerful poet whose work explores themes of identity, displacement, resistance, and survival. Born in Brooklyn to Palestinian refugee parents, her poetry carries the weight of her heritage and the struggles of being a person of color in America. After reading and listening to some of her poetry, as well as watching Salt of the Sea, it becomes clear that her work is deeply personal yet universally resonant. She weaves history, activism, and raw emotion into her verses, making her poetry a form of resistance and a voice for the unheard. One of her most well-done collections is Born Palestinian, Born Black. The title alone carries significant meaning. By pairing "Palestinian" and "Black," Hammad highlights a shared experience of oppression, struggle, and resilience between Palestinians and Black people. The title suggests that her identity is shaped by two histories of colonization, racism, and forced displacement. She chooses this title to emphasize solidarity and to acknowledge the intersections of different struggles. As someone growing up in America, she faced the realities of being racialized and marginalized, much like Black Americans. At the same time, she carried the weight of her Palestinian ancestry, with its long history of occupation and resistance. Hammad’s poetry does not shy away from pain but celebrates survival and defiance. Salt of the Sea, a film that explores themes of exile and return, reflects similar themes in the character of Soraya, a Palestinian-American woman searching for a lost homeland. Like Hammad’s poetry, the film is a statement of identity, belonging, and the desire for justice. Ultimately, Born Palestinian, Born Black is more than just a title, it is a declaration of identity, a recognition of interconnected struggles, and a call to solidarity. Through her words, Suheir Hammad challenges the reader to see beyond borders and labels, urging us to recognize the shared humanity in different fights for freedom.

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