10/17/2026
🖤📖 HAPPY BLACK POETRY DAY! 🎤✍🏾
In honor of Black Poetry Day, October 17th, I want to give a very special shout-out to Angela Mickens, author of Until I Heal! ❤️
If you’ve ever had the pleasure of hearing Angela speak or share her poetry, then you already know there’s something special about her!
She’s real. She’s authentic. She’s motivating. And when she speaks, you FEEL every word!
One thing I admire most about Angela is her courage. She’ll tell me in a heartbeat how nervous she is before speaking, and I’ve watched her push right through those nerves time and time again. But the moment she opens her mouth, it’s a DONE DEAL! She’s captivating, powerful, and speaks with such passion that you’d never know she was nervous in the first place!
And that’s what inspires me about her.
Courage isn’t always about being fearless. Sometimes it’s about being afraid and doing it anyway! ❤️
As someone who continues to grow in my own public speaking journey, I can genuinely say that I have a lot to learn from her. I admire her ability to connect with people through her words, her vulnerability, and her passion.
📚 Let’s talk about her book, Until I Heal!
This beautiful collection of poetry explores heartbreak, self-discovery, vulnerability, and the journey toward emotional healing.
One detail I absolutely love is that Angela intentionally chose to leave punctuation out of her poetry because healing doesn’t have a definite ending.
Now THAT is powerful! ❤️
Healing isn’t always pretty. It isn’t always easy. And it certainly doesn’t follow a timeline. Sometimes we’re still healing while we’re growing, loving, learning, and showing up for ourselves and others.
In celebration of Black Poetry Day, I purchased a copy of Angela’s book, Until I Heal, and it will be available as one of our prizes at HBIC’s Halloween Bingo on Saturday, October 17th! 🎃📚
I believe in supporting our local authors, poets, artists, and creatives. And what better way to celebrate Black poetry than by putting the work of one of our very own into someone else’s hands?
Angela Mickens I hope you know how much I admire you! Keep speaking, keep writing, and keep inspiring! Your voice matters, your story matters, and your willingness to be vulnerable is a gift to those who have the opportunity to hear you. 💐❤️
And to everyone else, remember that sometimes the very thing you’re nervous about doing is the thing someone else needs to see you accomplish!
📍 HBIC Halloween Bingo
📅 Saturday, October 17th
⏰ 6 PM
📍 Queen City Brewing — 834 Spring Hill Road, Staunton, VA
🎟️ $18 via QR code | $20 cash — 4 bingo cards
HBIC — Helping Beyond Inclusion Coalition
❤️ Support the community that supports you!
