Umoja: ToPoJo Excursions: Black Diaspora Edition

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Umoja is a collection of Black writers, illustrators, and photographers published by Tokyo Poetry Journal and edited by American poet Marcellus Nealy and Jamaican poet Biankah Bailey. It showcases award-winning writers and creators living in Japan and around the world. Umoja is the first volume of Black literature and art published in Tokyo.

Within its pages are stories of struggle, spirituality, triumph, and deep introspection. When reading this book, you can get a sense of how varied the Black diaspora is as you move from apocalyptic Afro-futuristic imagery to spiritual narrative to social commentary that speaks on the Black experience in Japan. The art in this volume also represents the varied beauty and wonder of the Black diaspora. From Basquiat-like creations to gritty glimpses of Tokyo the art speaks as poignantly as the words. Despite its wide variety, the parts fit together like a well-woven tapestry.

Several people have asked, ‘Why Tokyo?’ The simple answer is because we are here.