Kwame Alexander Offers New Poems On Race And Hope As 'Psalms And Balms' For The Soul

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'I think that through the listening of a poem or the reading of a poem about the woes of the world , we can be inspired to find the wonderful in ourselves and in each other.' Poet Kwame Alexander talks about his new book of poetry about race in America.

I think the weight of being Black was too much to carry for me for a long time. I didn't know how to find answers to assert myself to do something. And then a friend of mine sent me a quote by Toni Morrison that said this is precisely the time when artists go to work. There's no time for despair. No place for self pity. No need for silence. No room for fear. We speak, we write, we do language, that is how civilizations heal. And so I wrote.

I wanted to write this as a reminder to Black children and families to remember their humanity. I wanted to write it as sort of a wake-up call to white Americans to acknowledge and know the truth, to fight against a proclivity to maintain the hierarchy, whether conscious or not.

 

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Wow. That poem was powerful magic. I’ll be searching for your book, kwamealexander.

It's got the feel of a traffic report from Mama Lookabooboday

Please take a moment to listen to this truly beautiful and moving segment. Not only will it ground you, but also it will lift your spirits. (Running to vromans later to pick up several copies of kwamealexander 's new book for family and friends.)

Hard pass

good

Basketball Rule 3 Never let anyone lower your goals. Others' expectations of you are determined by their limitations of life. The sky is your limit, sons. Always shoot for the sun and you will shine. Kwame Alexander

Your reporter EmilyZFeng is on crack, go drug test her and fire her.

That poem and the reading was great. Thank you.

Woe: Trump is President. Wonderful: He won't be soon.

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