Throughout American history, Black people have written poetry reflecting on their lives, their struggles and their aspirations. But many of these works had been lost to time, or never widely read. Over six years of research, Kevin Young uncovered the writing of many lesser-known poets deserving of a place in the canon, alongside more famous figures. In his thousand-plus-page anthology of poems by Black writers from colonialism on, Young profiles and features the words of an enslaved potter, of Langston Hughes and fellow artists of the Harlem Renaissance, of activists and experimentalists. Young, himself an acclaimed author of poetry and prose, has created a document both breathtaking and inspiring, historical and personal.
Buy Now: African American Poetry on Bookshop
- Why Trump’s Message Worked on Latino Men
- What Trump’s Win Could Mean for Housing
- The 100 Must-Read Books of 2024
- Sleep Doctors Share the 1 Tip That’s Changed Their Lives
- Column: Let’s Bring Back Romance
- What It’s Like to Have Long COVID As a Kid
- FX’s Say Nothing Is the Must-Watch Political Thriller of 2024
- Merle Bombardieri Is Helping People Make the Baby Decision