--- title: Morgan Parker’s 'Magical Negro' Shows Authentic Black Lives description: 'We are still here.' Morgan Parker’s poetry collection, 'Magical Negro,' depicts authentic black lives and condemns black objectification. canonical: https://time.com/5511725/magical-negro-morgan-parker-review/ author: Glory Edim article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2019-01-24T11:33:16.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-23T22:35:09.234Z article:section: Entertainment og:title: 'We Are Still Here.' The Power of Showing Authentic Black Lives og:description: With her exquisite lines, poet Morgan Parker examines American culture og:url: https://time.com/5511725/magical-negro-morgan-parker-review/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt897653e0d486e779/698943ec16d8843dbfc347d3/morgan-parker-magical-negro-timeoff-review-1.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: Morgan Parker (c) Rachel Eliza Griffit.JPG og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: 'We Are Still Here.' The Power of Showing Authentic Black Lives twitter:description: With her exquisite lines, poet Morgan Parker examines American culture twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt897653e0d486e779/698943ec16d8843dbfc347d3/morgan-parker-magical-negro-timeoff-review-1.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # 'We Are Still Here.' The Power of Showing Authentic Black Lives by [Glory Edim](https://time.com/author/glory-edim/) ## Glory Edim Jan 24, 2019 11:33 AM UTC  Parker will also publish her debut YA novel, Who Put This Song On?, in 2019 Parker will also publish her debut YA novel, Who Put This Song On?, in 2019 by [Glory Edim](https://time.com/author/glory-edim/) ## Glory Edim Jan 24, 2019 11:33 AM UTC Poet Morgan Parker’s latest collection, [_Magical Negro_](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1947793187/ref=as%5Fli%5Fqf%5Fasin%5Fil%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&tag=time037-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=1947793187&linkId=751cdce91ee40e132cc7b803bbeff33f), is a riveting testimony to everyday blackness. The writer behind 2017’s acclaimed collection [_There Are More Beautiful Things Than Beyoncé_](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1941040535/ref=as%5Fli%5Fqf%5Fasin%5Fil%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&tag=time037-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=1941040535&linkId=7ea4a9907e3e25ac2600d561b52fe1d0), which examined black womanhood and identity, now turns her attention to challenging black stereotypes. Her new collection of poetry explores how identities are constructed, not only through the prism of race but also through historical legacies and pop culture. By replacing the self-effacing goodness of the “magical negro” trope, Parker highlights the authentic, specific characteristics of real people. There is no distinct separation between the writer and her elegy. Parker is uncompromising with her interior life, and between stanzas puts it fully on display. She invites us into her bedroom and therapy sessions. We are left to experience the magnitude of the violated black body: _Every day it is bitten with new guilt_. It is a moving window into her day-to-day existence, a tenacious black woman rejecting oppressive standards of beauty in favor of profound self-acceptance. Parker is deliberately provocative on race. She playfully mocks America’s hypocrisy without fear of retribution. Throughout the collection, readers are greeted with the devastating contradictions that riddle American history, so often to the detriment of black lives: _The history of black people, an investigation._ _The history of black people, a tragicomic horror film._ _The history of black people, or, joy stinging pink lips._ _The history of black people says me._ _The history of black people goes blank._ _The history of black people, adapted from white people._ While _Magical Negro_ is a condemnation of black objectification, it is also an acclamation of black triumph. Parker’s boldness and vulnerability are rewarded within the verse, which offers an inquiry of black genius: the gentle weaving of cultural icons from Diana Ross to Eartha Kitt, the tributes to visual artists Adrian Piper and Glenn Ligon, the political homage to Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass. And beyond the critical acclaim of her heroes, she acknowledges that black lives are often denied recognition of agency and personal autonomy. She leads us toward a chorus of black voices chanting, We are still here. Magical Negro’s soft radiance permeates the soul, inspiring a disquieting melancholy. It is wry and atmospheric, an epic work of aural pleasures and personifications that demands to be read–both as an account of a private life and as searing political protest. _Glory Edim is the founder of_ [_Well-Read Black Girl_](https://wellreadblackgirl.com/glory-edim/)_, and editor of the_ [_anthology of the same name_](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0525619771/ref=as%5Fli%5Fqf%5Fasin%5Fil%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&tag=time037-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0525619771&linkId=7349a6318d0fa1b6efa9992fd85313d1)_._ ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5511725/magical-negro-morgan-parker-review/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5511725/magical-negro-morgan-parker-review/"},"headline":"'We Are Still Here.' The Power of Showing Authentic Black Lives","datePublished":"2019-01-24T11:33:16.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-23T22:35:09.234Z","description":"'We are still here.' Morgan Parker’s poetry collection, 'Magical Negro,' depicts authentic black lives and condemns black objectification.","url":"https://time.com/5511725/magical-negro-morgan-parker-review/","keywords":["Books"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt897653e0d486e779/698943ec16d8843dbfc347d3/morgan-parker-magical-negro-timeoff-review-1.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Glory Edim","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/glory-edim/"}],"articleSection":"Entertainment","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt897653e0d486e779/698943ec16d8843dbfc347d3/morgan-parker-magical-negro-timeoff-review-1.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Morgan Parker (c) Rachel Eliza Griffit.JPG","caption":"Morgan Parker (c) Rachel Eliza Griffit.JPG","creditText":"","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/entertainment/","name":"Entertainment"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/books/","name":"Books"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/5511725/magical-negro-morgan-parker-review/","name":"'We Are Still Here.' The Power of Showing Authentic Black Lives"}}]}] ```