by Millicent Ansah 

I grew up between places. 

Some of my childhood lived in Ghana 

where elders looked like time itself, 

where my name didn’t need explaining, 

where Blackness wasn’t theory 

but air. 

Some of me was raised in Brooklyn. 

Where survival sharpened my tongue, 

where I learned how to be alert and brilliant at once, where I learned that being seen 

and being safe 

were not the same thing. 

Now I live in Jersey City. 

Across the Hudson 

and I found community here. 

where I learned how many languages a block could speak, where difference shared a sidewalk, 

And then there is Newark. 

There is a feeling in Newark 

despite the tales told about this place, 

there is another tale. 

A tale of recognition. 

Of moving through space 

and feeling immediately understood. 

Of not having to translate your pride 

before it is received. 

In Newark, 

Blackness is not isolated 

it is shared. 

Held. 

Woven into the everyday.

Outside of Africa, 

there is no place I’ve been 

where my Blackness and pride felt so present, 

so welcomed, 

so clear. 

Not louder than elsewhere. 

Not better than elsewhere. 

Just fully itself. 

Brooklyn shaped me. 

Ghana grounded me. 

Jersey City grew me. 

And Newark 

Newark reminds me 

that some places don’t need convincing. They already know 

who you are.

Millicent Ansah, known as Millie, is a Jersey City–based educator, poet, and community curator whose work has been featured in SoupCan Magazine, WNYC, and Teaneck Poetry Park. She is the founder and host of Mocha Mic with Millie, a monthly open mic uplifting Black and emerging artists. Established in 2023, Mocha Mic with Millie has had local performers and those from around the country grace the stage and share their artistry. In 2025, she launched Poetic Pages: Where Black Poets Speak, a literary series created to preserve and highlight Black stories and artistry. In 2026, she was one of twenty recipients awarded an Individual Artist Fellowship Grant through the Jersey City Arts Council and the Jersey City Arts and Cultural Fund.  Millie also partners with local organizations to lead creative writing workshops for youth and build meaningful community connections through the arts and quality programming. Some of her child and youth programming includes Stretch & Sketch, Rhythm & Roots and The Monticello Fall Festival.Her work has been highlighted in The Jersey Journal, The Jersey City Times, Slice of Culture, Bold Journey Magazine, Patch.com, and more. 

Featured Image: Maria Estrela, Instagram: @duchaestrela Website: www.mariaestrela.com