BRENDA M. TILLMAN

Brenda Michelle Tillman was born and raised in Hartford, Connecticut. Her poetic journey began in the second grade when she entered her first poetry contest.  At age 12, she was the editor of her church’s youth newsletter, in which she would sprinkle her poetry into the publication. At her alma mater, Bentley College in Waltham, Massachusetts, now Bentley University, she was a member of the poetry society and had her pieces published in the school’s newspaper.

 

Moving to Atlanta, Georgia twenty years ago she has worn many hats before finally giving in full time to her love for poetry and the magic of the spoken word. Tillman edited the Clark Atlanta University’s alumni newsletter and managed the Honors Program students in the university’s Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation Program.

An avid photographer and textile artist, she also created and produced the Spoken Word Live television show at People TV, the city of Atlanta’s public access channel.  She later took the show to CAU TV, the Clark Atlanta University public broadcast station.

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Always keeping her plate relatively full with hobbies and volunteering, it appeared as if she had a second job.  “I was always writing poetry, taking pictures and seeking opportunities to volunteer in the arts.”

 

In 2005 Brenda published her first book of poetry, Shades of Mandingo. When asked to describe the book, she simply stated, “Shades is a collection of poems dedicated to and inspired by men of the African diaspora. The stories portrayed through the media about black men are overwhelmingly negative and I wanted to tell the real story.”

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Her sophomore literary offering is LISTEN! Your Positive Inner Voice and she wrote this book to inspire everyone to seek inner peace and positive thoughts. It is presented in 24-themed sets of affirmations, meditations and inspirational poems, believing “everyone needs a little inspiration every once in a while.”

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BMichelle, her artistic name, has performed her poetry on local, national and international stages and has published two books of poetry. Aside from performances in Atlanta, she has recited her work in Washington; various open mic nights in Hartford, Bentley University in Waltham, Mass; and internationally in Puerto Rico, Côte d'Ivoire, West Africa and Tanzania, East Africa. She also performs a special interactive, one-woman show titled Divas Don’t Bash: Celebration of Black Men. Women are invited to bring their husbands, boyfriends, brothers, sons, fathers and grandfathers to the performance where their men are pampered and lauded.

 

The pre-release of her first children’s book occurs at the end of the summer 2016. The book is titled Happy! Happy! Happy, and promotes happiness as a choice that you make. Tillman’s purpose when writing is always to inspire and encourage the joy of reading and promote peace.

 

Through her own spiritual quest, Brenda has become an advocate for living life in peace. In addition to her poetry, she hosted the Loving Our Mandingo Men, two-hour Internet radio program on the Caribbean Radio Show Station, http://www.blogtalkradio.com/caribbeanradioshow.

 

Brenda is a member of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., considers herself a member of God’s global army, the African Methodist Episcopal Church, and the Church Women United.

 

“God speaks to me!” she says, “And when He speaks, it’s poetry.”

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