American Sonnet for My Past and Future Assassin [But there never was a black male hysteria] by Terrance Hayes But there never was a black male hysteriaBreaking & entering wearing glee & sadnessAnd the light grazing my teeth with my lighterTo the night with the flame like a blade cuttingMe slack along the corridors with …

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At the Age of 18 – Ode to Girls of Color by Amanda Gorman At the age of 5I saw how we always pick the flower swelling with the most color.The color distinguishes it from the rest, and tells us:This flower should not be left behind.But this does not happen in the case of colored …

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This Has Always Been Our Active Shooter Drill by Jason Reynolds (for Stephon Clark’s grandmother) shave your face. a haircuteven. kiss your kids. yourpartner. your parents. tellthem you listened. you kissedtheir asses like you weretaught. kissed their asses andstill. walk. or run. don’tmatter. glue your identificationto your forehead. wrap yourselfin the flag. hand over heart. …

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from Citizen, VI [I knew whatever was in front of me was happening] by Claudia Rankine I knew whatever was in front of me was happening and then the police vehicle came to a screeching halt in front of me like they were setting up a blockade. Everywhere were flashes, a siren sounding and a …

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Praise by Angelo Geter Today I will praise. I will praise the sun For showering its light On this darkened vessel. I will praise its shine. Praise the way it wraps My skin in ultraviolet ultimatums Demanding to be seen. I will lift my hands in adoration Of how something so bright Could be so …

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