Survival

At the age of sixteen, M. A. Goode had a conversation with her grandfather that stayed with her. She wanted to write about his life, but she was surprised to hear him say that speaking about his past could get him into trouble. At the time, she did not understand what he meant. As she studied Black history and her own cultural heritage, she began to understand the many reasons behind his fear.

Those questions inspired poems exploring the lives of those who came before her-their suffering, their courage, their faith, and their love. Decades later, Goode returned to those poems with a lifetime of her own experiences and a deeper appreciation for what earlier generations made possible.

Survival: Voices of the Past, Experiences for the Future pairs her original poems with companion reflections rooted in family memory and historical imagination. Together, they honor lives shaped by enslavement and racial injustice while celebrating the families, wisdom, creativity, and joy that endured.

The young writer wanted to understand how her people survived. The woman she has become also wants to celebrate how they lived, what they preserved, and what they left for those who followed.

This collection invites readers to remember the past, honor the fullness of those lives, and consider what they will carry forward.

May we inherit more than their struggles. May we carry forward their hope, their strength, their faith, and their love.