Watch the animated music video for
"Black History (It's Yours)"
an original rap anthem that celebrates African-American icons and heroes from Rosa Parks to Kendrick Lamar.
Written and Performed by Idris Goodwin
A Proclamation on National Black History Month, 2024
This National Black History Month, we celebrate the vast contributions of Black Americans to our country and recognize that Black history is American history and that Black culture, stories, and triumphs are at the core of who we are as a Nation.
Watch the animated music video for
"Black History (The Readers are the Leaders)"
an original rap song that that encourages kids to embrace reading
while celebrating African-American icons and heroes
who became successful through literacy.
Based on "The Leaders are The Readers"
by Dr. Gaston Woodland Jr.
Eagerly Awaiting: February 2024 New Book Releases
flyleafbooks.com--February 1, 2024
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Our Most Anticipated Books
of January 2024
barnesandnoble.com
--December 31, 2023
New Year, new reading.
If your resolutions for 2024 include reading more, or reading authors and/or genres who are new to you, well, we have some terrific recommendations from you.
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MENTAL HEALTH QUOTE
BY BRITTIN OAKMAN
goodreads.com--December 29, 2023
"I lied and said I was busy.
I was busy;
but not in a way most people understand.
I was busy taking deeper breaths.
I was busy silencing irrational thoughts.
I was busy calming a racing heart.
I was busy telling myself I am okay.
Sometimes, this is my busy -
and I will not apologize for it."
Poetry for your mental health
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CHIKA’S EMOTIONAL ‘REQUIEM FOR A DREAM’ IS AN HONEST CONFESSION OF HER STATE OF MIND
uproxx.com--December 31, 2023
After a scary brush with some dark thoughts and a subsequent social media hiatus, Chika has returned with new music. Her new song is called “Requiem For A Dream,” and like the film from which it takes its name, the song finds Chika dwelling on her disturbed mental state. She discusses her feeling of alienation and insecurity, as well as her encounters with online fans whose comments and critiques set her off in the past.
Jane Chika Oranika, known mononymously as Chika,
is an American rapper
‘Peaky Blinders’ family moarns POET/actor Benjamin zephaniah
Benjamin Zephaniah
April 15, 1958 - December 7, 2023
The British writer Benjamin Zephaniah was known for his poetry as well as novels, plays, and other works. The type of poetry he wrote is called “dub poetry,” which means it is poetry that is performed—the words are recited over the beat of reggae music.
British poet and ‘Peaky Blinders’ actor Benjamin Zephaniah dies
msn.com--December 29, 2023
British poet Benjamin Zephaniah, who famously rejected an honor from Queen Elizabeth II over Britain’s empire and links to slavery, died on Thursday, Dec. 7, at the age of 65, his family said. The Rastafarian poet and writer, whose work was greatly influenced by the music and poetry of Jamaica, also turned his hand to acting when he appeared in series six of the hit show “Peaky Blinders” as the character Jeremiah Jesus.
books written by Indigenous authors and poets
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LANDBACK is a movement
that has existed for generations
with a long legacy of organizing
and sacrifice to get Indigenous Lands back into Indigenous hands.
Currently, there are LANDBACK battles being
fought all across Turtle Island,
to the north and the South.
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book reviews
There’s more to Jada Pinkett Smith than her marriage. The actress addresses the infamous slap and so much more in her new memoir, ‘Worthy’
washingtonpost.com--November 25, 2023
It is unfortunate that the main concern most people will have about Jada Pinkett Smith’s memoir, “Worthy,” will be if there are any new revelations about her relationship with her husband, Will Smith. Maybe she knows this because she takes her time getting there, sprinkling breadcrumbs to show how he appeared in the periphery of her life before they got together. Will you learn anything new? It depends on how online you are and where you get your celebrity gossip. Jada claims she wrote “Worthy” to redeem herself from public assumptions, but at times it feels more like a guide for finding a spiritual practice.
Henry Winkler grapples with the Fonz and dyslexia in his entertaining new memoir
apnews.com--October 31, 2023
Henry Winkler’s memoir begins on a Tuesday morning in October 1973, at his first audition for “Happy Days.” He was almost 28 — quite a bit old for a high schooler — and struggling with something he didn’t know had a name.
“Being Henry: The Fonz... and Beyond,” released Tuesday by Celadon Books, is a breezy, inspirational story of one of Hollywood’s most beloved figures who became an unlikely TV screen icon and later a champion for those with dyslexia.
Winkler’s 245-page book charts his course chronologically from the Fonz to “Barry” — and the frustrating fallow periods in between — painting a portrait of a man trying to overcome a bitter, loveless childhood and a disability that made reading impossibly hard and simply trying to become a better man.
Featured FAta Artist: Amaryllis greene
Poets Are Children Too!
A book of poems based on some life experiences of my own as well as those of the children I've met who have similar yet different growing pains. I wrote this book to be a voice for those children who may have endured things like loneliness, hate, and colorism. I want those children to see that if you put in the work, your goals and aspirations can be accomplished Just like my poem says: B.Y.B.Y. - Be Your Best You and NEVER GIVE UP
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Poetry Online
Are you an Artist, Author or Poet?
Are you an Artist, Author or Poet?
(poetryfoundation.org)
Resources for teaching and learning remotely.
Are you an Artist, Author or Poet?
Are you an Artist, Author or Poet?
Are you an Artist, Author or Poet?
Send us a sample of your work
so that we can shine
a spotlight on you!
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