Throughout history, poetry has been the most popular artistic medium, a tradition that has not been lost on the next generation.
For centuries, poets have written about social issues. For example, William Blake wrote moving poems about child chimney sweeps who put their lives and limbs in the hands of unscrupulous businessmen and now, there is a large network of young poets who use spoken words poetry,’ to address social issues and the prospect of change.
Helen C Philips is a young poet from Northeast Arkansas, USA, who uses her poetry to address social issues in the United States. THI contacted Helen to find out what sparked her interest in poetry and this is what she says
Without hesitation, I can trace my passion for poetry to my rural roots. Growing up in the rural Northeast Arkansas town of Helena-West Helena, I experienced first-hand the havoc economic devastation can wreak on a community and the psyche of its people. Of my hometown’s eleven thousand plus residents, only about three thousand are gainfully employed. And while Blacks make up the majority of the town (over75%), 95% of Blacks live below the poverty line. This crime-ridden, poverty-stricken community is the place I have called home for most of my life.
Once a thriving community, Helena-West Helena lost its economic base in the 1990’s when many industrial jobs moved overseas. Like so many other rural communities with dying economies, Helena-West Helena began depending solely on state and federal funds for education, housing, and basic life necessities, meanwhile experiencing high unemployment, low educational attainment, rising crime rates, and poor infrastructure.
My humble beginnings in Helena-West Helena have made me passionate about conveying the blight of African American’s and also providing residents of blighted communities with a creative outlet through poetry.
Helen has also cited Maya Angelou, Langston Hughes, and James Baldwin as some of her inspiration
Listen to Symbolic Gestures by Helen C Philips
Culture Beyond the Mainstream 