Black Means

The People Remember
The Creation
The Origin of Life on Earth
All the Days Past, All the Days to Come
Before the Ever After.

Do you feel me?

Black Means

I Have Heard of a Land.
Africa Dream
The Captive
The Middle Passage
Working Cotton
Black Hands, White Sails.
WE Are the Ship Almost to Freedom River.

Ain’t no stopping us!

Black Means

I, Too, Am America
March
A Long Hard Journey.
Memphis, Martin, and the Mountaintop.
March!
Twelve Rounds to Glory.

We keep keeping on!

Black Means

Keeping the Night Watch
Somewhere in the Darkness, The Stars
and the Blackness Between,
WE WAIT for the Sun—
Copper Sun—
Infinite Hope Out of Wonder.

Act like you know!

Black Means

Hidden Figures—
The Undefeated Forged by Fire.
I’m Talkin’ About Bessie Coleman
Anthony Burns
Bayard Rustin
Josephine Baker
Lena Horne
Mary McCleod Bethune
Nina Simone
Octavia Butler
Paul Robeson
James Van Der Zee.
MY PEOPLE LET IT SHINE!

Let it shine!

Black Means

I See the Rhythm In the Time of Drums
And I’m Going to Sing All Night, All Day.
November Blues.
Jazz on a Saturday Night.
Rap a Tap Tap Rap a Tap Tap!

The beat is in our bones!

Black Means

Night on Neighborhood Street
The Boy in the Black Suit Goin’ Someplace Special.
Tar Beach
Harlem
Heaven Uptown.

Great god almighty!

Black Means

Uncle Jed’s Barbershop
Cornrows
Enchanted Hair
The People Could Fly.
WE ARE FLY.

We are fly!

Black Means

Heart and Soul.
My Mama Needs Me.
In Daddy’s Arms I Am Tall.
Grandmama’s Joy?
Brown Honey in Broom Wheat Tea
A Little Love
Half a Moon and One Whole Star
Each Kindness, Never Forgotten
DAYS of Jubilee!

Can I get a witness?

Black Means

ALL the Colors of the Race
The Blacker the Berry
Bright Shadow
Sweet Whispers.
The Talk Breaking Ground
Breaking Silence.

Can you hear me now?

Black Means

Standing in the Need of Prayer,
Lifting as We Climb.
Raising My Fist for Justice!
Now Is Our Time!

Now Is Our Time!

Black Means

Daydreamers Movin’ Up.
God Bless the Child.

God bless the child.

A found poem of Coretta Scott King Award & Honor Book titles, performed at the Coretta Scott King Book Awards Round Table's 55th Anniversary Celebration on June 28, 2024. From the January/February 2025 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.

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