Alexander, Elizabeth

"In the midst of civil unrest in the summer of 2020 following the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery, . . . Elizabeth Alexander, wrote a . . . reflection on the psyche of young Black America, turning a mother's eye to her sons' generation. Originally published in the New Yorker, the essay . . . observed the lives and attitudes of young people who even as children could never be shielded from the brutality that has ended so many Black boys and men's lives. With camera phones and internet access, the racist violence that has plagued America throughout its history has become more extensively documented, and . . . accessible through news articles and social media posts. The children of this generation were teens too when Trayvon Martin was murdered in 2012 before reaching adulthood, becoming the first in a series of . . . names, and any efforts from mothers to protect their sons from the . . . truth of our society was futile in the digital age of information. Now, the viral essay which spoke . . . to this . . . historical moment . . . is expounded upon, bookended by additional essays woven with . . . insight and heart and combined with . . . art by . . . Black artists. Taking the reader through our past and extrapolating its lasting impact through to . . . [the] moment, Elizabeth then turns her eye to the radical potential of our future"--Provided by publisher.

A collection of poems by Elizabeth Alexander which use the structure of dreams to reflect on the strangeness of race, the mysteries of family, the centrality of African-American precursors, and the excitement of motherhood.

An illustrated interpretation of the poem that was commissioned for the 44th president's inauguration conveys a message of hope and gratitude as well as a reminder of the responsibilities we share to help promote a better world.

Presents the text of the poem composed and read by Elizabeth Alexander for President Barack Obama's inauguration ceremony on January 20, 2009.

Poems tell the story of nineteenth-century teacher Prudence Crandall and the students she taught at her Canterbury, Connecticut, school for African-American girls before persecution forced its closing.