What is Ekphrasis?
In the strict sense, The Poetry Foundation defines ekphrasis in the following way: Ekphrasis, “Description” in Greek. An ekphrastic poem is a vivid description of a scene or, more commonly, a work of art. Through the imaginative act of narrating and reflecting on the “action” of a painting or sculpture, the poet may amplify and expand its meaning.

What is Black Ekphrastic?
Black Ekphrastic is an attempt to answer the question that Dr. Greg Carr articulates from his Africana Studies framework using a Governance lens, Who are We (Africans and African-descended folks) to each other? Black Ekphrastic seeks to answer this question by looking at the ways that Black/Afro-descended poets and creative writers examine and address artwork specifically by Black/Afro-descended artists.

Why Black Ekphrastic?
The “Black AF” answer is “Why not?”…But said another way, Black Ekphrastic seeks to fill a gap in inquiry about Black Poetry in conversation with Black Art.