Black Star Rising: Maune Tynes

Abstract

<p>Maxine Tynes is a Black Nova Scotian writer who writes from a deeply personal place. Her heritage and her community play an integral part in her writing, for it is through the exploration of her community and her community's relationship to the world that her role as a poet/activist is defined. Her strong Black feminist sentiments establish her writing as part of an important Black women's intellectual tradition. Chapter One deals with the poetry's relationship with the Canadian community and the historical roots of Black Nova Scotia as the method of understanding the many "isms" discussed by Tynes. I have also included a discussion of the critical reviews of Tynes's work. Chapter Two concentrates on the creation of a Black and female centered paradigm as a method for empowerment. Also, Tynes's role as an activist is explored in detail, in particular her dedication to Black women's process of self-definition against the oppressive prevailing discourses, such as the negation of the ideology of the beautiful. The final chapter deals with the reaffirmation of Black women through community; that is, I look at how Tynes values her community's ability to be self-sufficient despite the obstacles they face as Black Nova Scotian women. I have undertaken this discussion by looking at the concept of classism as it pertains to domestic workers. In the tradition of Black feminism Tynes revalues the relationships between Black women. In particular, the poetry honors the bonds between women through the positive treatment of sisterhood and motherhood. I conclude by looking at the way in which Maxine Tynes ignores international boundaries by extending her discussion of struggle to the global political arena. Maxine Tynes is a proactive poet who works for positive change for those who are marginalised, both within and outside of her community.</p>