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The Trayvon generation / Elizabeth Alexander.

By: Material type: TextTextPublisher: New York, NY : Grand Central Publishing, 2022Edition: First editionDescription: viii, 146 pages : illustrations (chiefly color) ; 19 cmContent type:
  • text
Media type:
  • unmediated
Carrier type:
  • volume
ISBN:
  • 9781538737897
  • 1538737892
Subject(s): DDC classification:
  • 305.896/073 23
LOC classification:
  • E185.86 .A37945 2022
Contents:
"What will be the sacred words? -- "here lies" -- "shock of delayed comprehension" -- "a tale of two textbooks" -- "cemetery for the illustrious negro dead" -- the trayvon generation -- "we dress our ideas in clothes to make the abstract visible" -- "whether the negro sheds tears" -- "there are black people in the future".
Summary: "In the midst of civil unrest in the summer of 2020 following the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery, one of the great literary voices of our time, Elizabeth Alexander, wrote a moving 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 brilliantly and lovingly 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 immediately and constantly 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 now well known names, and any efforts from mothers to protect their sons from the heartbreaking truth of our society was futile in the digital age of information. Now, the viral essay which spoke so resonantly to this unique historical moment that it was shared and praised by Barack Obama, John Legend, Melissa Harris Perry, and many more, is expounded upon, bookended by additional essays woven with profound insight and heart and combined with groundbreaking art by prominent and up-and-coming Black artists. Taking the reader through our past and extrapolating its lasting impact through to our current moment, Elizabeth then turns her eye to the radical potential of our future. Through her lyrical prose, Elizabeth Alexander writes with pride, fear, love, and a keen awareness of the reflective power of pop culture and art on the nature of racism and the fight for racial justice as it spans and evolves across generations. These essays are essential reading, a breathtaking expression of both the hope and horror of this era"--
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Holdings
Item type Current library Home library Collection Call number Status Date due Barcode
Book Independence Public Library Adult Non-Fiction Independence Public Library Adult Books 305.89 ALEX (Browse shelf(Opens below)) Available 36123001656485
Book Iola Public Library Adult Non-Fiction Iola Public Library Adult Books 305.896 Alexander, Elizabeth (Browse shelf(Opens below)) Available 34311002926047

"What will be the sacred words? -- "here lies" -- "shock of delayed comprehension" -- "a tale of two textbooks" -- "cemetery for the illustrious negro dead" -- the trayvon generation -- "we dress our ideas in clothes to make the abstract visible" -- "whether the negro sheds tears" -- "there are black people in the future".

"In the midst of civil unrest in the summer of 2020 following the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery, one of the great literary voices of our time, Elizabeth Alexander, wrote a moving 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 brilliantly and lovingly 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 immediately and constantly 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 now well known names, and any efforts from mothers to protect their sons from the heartbreaking truth of our society was futile in the digital age of information. Now, the viral essay which spoke so resonantly to this unique historical moment that it was shared and praised by Barack Obama, John Legend, Melissa Harris Perry, and many more, is expounded upon, bookended by additional essays woven with profound insight and heart and combined with groundbreaking art by prominent and up-and-coming Black artists. Taking the reader through our past and extrapolating its lasting impact through to our current moment, Elizabeth then turns her eye to the radical potential of our future. Through her lyrical prose, Elizabeth Alexander writes with pride, fear, love, and a keen awareness of the reflective power of pop culture and art on the nature of racism and the fight for racial justice as it spans and evolves across generations. These essays are essential reading, a breathtaking expression of both the hope and horror of this era"--

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