Light for the World to See: A Thousand Words on Race and Hope

The widely acclaimed author of nearly three dozen books for children, Alexander turns his poetic attention to three milestones in recent U.S. history: the murder of George Floyd by police officers in Minneapolis, the kneeling protests of Colin Kaepernick during the national anthem before NFL games, and the election of Barack Obama. Alexander works through these events in reverse chronological order, committing one long poem apiece to each of the three turning points. The poems are defined as much by their direct language and stark imagery ("we can’t hold a gun / we can’t stop that whip / we can’t wear this skin") as by the highly stylized typography: much of the text appears on yellow banners against black backgrounds, mimicking police tape at crime scenes. Other pages include broken chains in grayscale and the American flag with its stars replaced by X's. One of the most powerful passages occurs when Alexander lists the names of Black individuals murdered by police and white vigilantes and stirs his readers to action. A brave intervention by a talented writer of conviction...Alexander's uniquely designed poems offer a useful entry point for conversations about racism in America."--Booklist "This collection poignantly captures the pain, rage, injustice, and resistance that mark this moment in American history."--School Library Journal —

"[Kwame Alexander’s] three wonderfully performed poems—“American Bullet Points,” “Take a Knee,” and “The Undefeated”—are a potent combination of elegy, protest, and celebration of Black triumph. Listeners should see the print edition for its striking visual elements. And listen to the audiobook for Alexander’s incredibly powerful performance. Winner of the AudioFile Earphones Award.” —AudioFile

“A brave intervention by a talented writer of conviction. Alexander’s uniquely designed poems offer a useful entry point for conversations about racism in America.” —Booklist