Dedication to Our Colleague and Friend
We dedicate this inaugural issue of Freedom’s Plow to our colleague and friend, Tamara Smiley Hamilton. Tamara was a passionate speaker, storyteller, writer, and poet who looked forward to contributing to Freedom’s Plow as part of our effort to expand the conversation at the intersection of history, justice, and race.
It is in remembrance of her wisdom and prophetic witness and in recognition of her many gifts, both her oratory and her poetic voice, that we launch Freedom’s Plow. Tamara possessed a spirit of peace that transcended differences. Above all, Tamara never shied away from her lived experiences as a Black Woman in the United States. From cooperating rooms to local churches to the White House, she took the story of her life with her, bearing witness to the tragedies and triumphs of the Black experience in the United States and throughout the world.
“I hold the space to talk about race with dignity and grace.”
Bold. Intentional. Genuine.
Poetry by Tamara Smiley Hamilton
Illustrations by E.J. Hobson
