First and foremost, as a friend and a creative peer, I am extremely proud of and happy for Faylita Hicks. I’ve watched her grow from a poet into a hip-hop artist, from a hip-hop artist into an activist, and so on. A couple of years ago, she first started talking about her journey towards becoming a published author, and just like clockwork, about a year ago, she mentioned locking down a deal with Acre Books for the publication of HoodWitch, a collection of poems that reflect on her personal experiences, as well as experiences of black women in America on the whole. Now, here we are, about a year from that time, and the book has rolled out to respectable amounts of success. The first pressing sold out in rapid fire fashion, the feedback has been positive, and Faylita has been given the opportunity to do appearances in bookstores she frequented as a customer, only now she finds herself (and her work) placed among the very same pieces of literature that once inspired her to reach these heights. If nothing else, Faylita Hicks is living proof that a vision backed with pure drive and determination can become reality. Check out HoodWitch sooner than later via the links in the video description, and help Faylita Hicks reach a level where her books are on demand.
-chief