WE SPEAK YOUR NAMES A Celebration

In addition to being asked to attend Oprah Winfrey’s Legends Ball, Pearl Cleage was charged with writing a poem to commemorate the event and celebrate the accomplishments of the women in attendance. What resulted is this poem, which pays tribute to the contributions of the African-American women honored by Winfrey. Reading the work herself, Cleage first speaks the names of the women in attendance and reveals how they have impacted the world, as well as her own life. Cleage’s reading of the poem itself is a bit stiff, but her introduction to the material is warm and engaging, and her description of the women she praises is genuine and heartfelt. Cleage’s work succinctly, though subjectively, summarizes the achievements of a few notable women. H.L.S. 2007 Audies Award Finalist © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine [Published: FEB/ MAR 07]