Black changemaker shares poem, calls for positive change in New Brunswick
Fredericton poet Thandiwe Jelani McCarthy says 'we all have the power to brighten each other's days
Thandiwe Jelani McCarthy is very proud of his poem Changemakers, especially since it didn't come easily, and he "wrestled with it like an alligator."
The Fredericton-based spoken-word poet, writer and community organizer was named a CBC Black Changemaker, and said he wrote the poem to mark that occasion.
"I was nominated by other people and chosen by a jury of my own peers," he said. "The poem was me grappling with that concept of how we bring change."
McCarthy said he immediately thought of positive change and the small things we can all do.
"Call up a loved one or a friend and share a laugh with them. You can change someone's whole day with just 15 seconds of yours."
He considers this poem one of his strongest performance pieces.
"A lot of my poems are directed at the universe — throwing my thoughts to the stars," he said. "But this one — I was speaking to New Brunswickers. I was curating the specific message that we all have the power to brighten each other's days."
McCarthy believes everyone must learn to "love the people we can't be close to," and "respect the people we don't like."
"If we can just do that — to smile at those who hurt us and work beside those who hate us — then everything awful and impossible becomes interesting and fun."
For more stories about the experiences of Black Canadians — from anti-Black racism to success stories within the Black community — check out Being Black in Canada, a CBC project Black Canadians can be proud of. You can read more stories here.
