Legacy: Women Poets of the Harlem Renaissance

by Nikki Grimes

From Children's Literature Legacy Award-winning author Nikki Grimes comes a feminist-forward new collection of poetry celebrating the little-known women poets of the Harlem Renaissance--paired with full-color, original art from today's most talented female African-American illustrators.

For centuries, accomplished women--of all races--have fallen out of the historical records. The same is true for gifted, prolific, women poets of the Harlem Renaissance who are little known, especially as compared to their male counterparts.

In this poetry collection, bestselling author Nikki Grimes uses "The Golden Shovel" poetic method to create wholly original poems based on the works of these groundbreaking women-and to introduce readers to their work.

Each poem is paired with one-of-a-kind art from today's most exciting female African-American illustrators: Vanessa Brantley-Newton, Cozbi A. Cabrera, Nina Crews, Pat Cummings, Laura Freeman, Jan Spivey Gilchrist, Ebony Glenn, April Harrison, Vashti Harrison, Ekua Holmes, Cathy Ann Johnson, Keisha Morris, Daria Peoples-Riley, Andrea Pippins, Erin Robinson, Shadra Strickland, Nicole Tadgell, and Elizabeth Zunon.

Legacy also includes a foreword, an introduction to the history of the Harlem Renaissance, author's note, and poet biographies, which make this a wonderful resource and a book to cherish.

Genres: Poetry, Middle Grade, Nonfiction, Childrens, History, African American, Womens

144 pages, Hardcover

First published January 5, 2021

Reviews

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Welcome to Black History Month – February, 2025

“They lift me from the smallness of other’s expectations, reminding me that I am more than anyone gives me credit for.”

I appreciate having the opportunity to begin this celebratory month with “women poets of the Harlem Renaissance.” This book stood out to me on one of my Thursday browse adventures to my local library.

Not only are readers experiencing lovely poetry from great women poets, but amazingly picturesque and original illustrative art, that fills these pages with bright colors and scenes to accentuate the words.

There is also a uniqueness to this poetry collection - known as the golden shovel form. For example, Mae V. Cowdery’s Heritage short poem ends with these words…

“Our dark fathers gave us the gift of shedding sorrow in a song.”

On the next page, Nikki Grimes, the author, shares her poem called Before. In bold at the end of each sentence of this poem there is a highlighted word that matches the previous poet’s message…

“Our dark fathers gave us the gift of shedding sorrow in a song.”

The author does this with each of her poet’s poems. It is thoughtful, imaginative and insightful in how she tells her own story in poetry, as well as honor these women.

It should also be noted that in the back, the author has a section on Resources which includes short biographies on the poets and artists she has in this book.

The collections are enchanting, heart-felt, healing, and alluringly rich in historical value and present thinking about our world (even if they were written so long ago). It makes one feel a sense of Hope!

The soul and spirit of this book would make a beautiful gift for anyone.

[Darla · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you loved 'One Last Word,' you will be over the moon for this new poetry/art anthology from Nikki Grimes. Each Harlem Renaissance poem is paired with a Nikki Grimes poem written in the golden shovel style she does so well and accompanied by an original work of art that complements the two poems. In the last half of the book, short bios on the poets and artists are included. Reading these beautiful is like balm for the soul and the artwork fires up the imagination. My favorite poem is entitled 'The Bronze Legacy (To A Brown Boy)' by Effie Lee Newsome, written in 1922:

Tis a noble gift to be brown, all brown,
Like the strongest things that make up this earth,
Like the mountains grave and grand,
Even like the very land,
Even like the trunks of trees—
Even oaks, to be like these!
God builds His strength in bronze.

To be brown like thrush and lark!
Like the subtle wren so dark!
Nay, the king of beasts wears brown;
Eagles are of this same hue.
I thank God, then, I am brown.
Brown has mighty things to do.

Thank you to Nikki Grimes, Bloomsbury Children's Books and NetGalley for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.

[Octavia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reaching page 45 to see the poem "Rondeau" by Jessie Redmon Fauset. She authored the most Eloquent novel, "Plum Bum: A Novel Without Morals" written in 1929. Nikki Grimes again uses the golden shovel poetry form to create an original poem of her own from a middle excerpt of "Rondeau" entitled "Tara Takes On Montclair." This Collection is a Veracious Renewal of the Harlem Renaissance Era. 💫

[Mid-Continent Public Library]

If you loved 'One Last Word,' you will be over the moon for this new poetry/art anthology from Nikki Grimes. Each Harlem Renaissance poem is paired with a Nikki Grimes poem written in the golden shovel style she does so well and accompanied by an original work of art that complements the two poems. In the last half of the book, short bios on the poets and artists are included. Reading these beautiful is like balm for the soul and the artwork fires up the imagination. My favorite poem is entitled 'The Bronze Legacy (To A Brown Boy)' by Effie Lee Newsome, written in 1922:

Tis a noble gift to be brown, all brown,
Like the strongest things that make up this earth,
Like the mountains grave and grand,
Even like the very land,
Even like the trunks of trees—
Even oaks, to be like these!
God builds His strength in bronze.

To be brown like thrush and lark!
Like the subtle wren so dark!
Nay, the king of beasts wears brown;
Eagles are of this same hue.
I thank God, then, I am brown.
Brown has mighty things to do.

*Review by Darla from Red Bridge*

[Allie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This rating/review is based an advanced copy from Netgalley and Bloomsbury Children's Books.

This book is absolutely tremendous! I read Nikki Grimes' One Last Word a few years ago and I was really impressed by the poetic form, but it felt a bit uneven. This collection uses that same poetic form and completely blew me away. Every single poem is so strong and the source material Grimes is working from is incredible. I am absolutely going to look up every single one of these poets and read more of their work! This book features quite a few illustrations that are absolutely breathtaking, and most of them are absolutely lovely. There were a few that are still to come, and the illustrator bios are also TK so I will 100% be picking up the print version to see who did my favorite illustrations and read more about the amazing contributors. Everything about this is so wonderful, I can't wait until it hits shelves and I can book talk it into the hands of every kid I see.

[Alex Baugh · Rating 5 out of 5]

A number of things came together in creating this volume of poems. First, there were a number of relatively unknown women poets writing during the Harlem Renaissance, that period beginning in 1918 through the min-1930s when African American arts flourished. Second, there is the relatively new poetic form devised by poet Terrance Hayne called the Golden Shovel. Third, there is the incomparable poet Nikki Grimes. Put together, the result is Legacy, a collection of poems by African American women poets who are celebrated in new contemporary poems by Nikki Grimes utilizing the Golden Shovel form, connecting today's readers with these Black feminist writers across time and space.

Legacy begins with a poem by Nikki Grimes in the voice of a young girl, whose teacher is telling her that she needs to find her "girl power," that it is "Time you learn/ a little history./ The women in our race/ have always gone/ from strength to strength." She then hands her three books on the Harlem Renaissance. The young girl's journey begins by reading Part I of Legacy called "Heritage," followed by Part II "Mother Earth" and Part III "Taking Notice." The books then ends with a poem called "Journey's End," giving her thoughts about what she has read and that has changed her.

There are 19 poems by women of the Harlem Renaissance, such as Anne Spencer, Mae V. Cowdery, and Blanche Taylor Dickinson, among others. Their poetry reflects the historical times in which they as Black women lived and wrote. Each one of the 19 poems is paired with a poem by Nikki Grimes reflecting today's world and Black women's response to it. Added to these poems are 19 original illustrations beautifully paired with each poem set. These are by such esteemed artists as Ekua Holmes, Ebony Glenn, Vashti Harrison and others and are done in bold full color using various medians.

Front matter includes a Preface, information about The Harlem Renaissance, and the Poetry Form used. Back matter includes a short biography of each poet, a short biography of each artist, a list of Sources, print and digital, and an Index.

It only seemed appropriate to end Women's History Month 2021 with this collection of feminist oriented poetry. I hope you are as moved by these poets, past and present, as I am.

This book is recommended for readers age 10+
This book was an eARC gratefully received from NetGalley

[Alicia (PrettyBrownEyeReader) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This children’s book introduces young readers to lesser known Harlem Renaissance poets. The focus is on women poets of that time who have not received recognition as their male contemporaries.

The selections of poems are excellent in their use of imagery, rhythm and other poetic devices. Nikki Grimes displays her creativity by using the Golden Shovel method to create a poem from a line in the Harlem Renaissance era. It is a way from Grimes and young readers to have a conversation with poets of the past.

This book also has gorgeous artwork to accompany the poem selection.

I was given the opportunity to review an advanced copy of this book via NetGalley.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hmm. Grimes admits that there were more women poets than she could fit in the book. But the thing is, half the poems are her own responses to the ones that did get included... so there would have been room if she hadn't written so much, or if not every one was illustrated. Otoh, the responses and illustrations do make the originals more accessible, and this is a book created for young people.

I've barely started; we'll see what I think of particular poems later.

I like the poem Joy by Clarissa Scott Delany.

Joy shakes me like the wind that lifts a sail,
Like the roistering wind
That laughs through stalwart pines.
It floods me like the sun
On rain-drenched trees
That flash with silver and green.

I abandon myself to joy-
I laugh - I sing.
Too long have I walked a desolate way,
Too long stumbled down a maze
Bewildered.

I also very much appreciate the poem The Bronze Legacy (To a Brown Boy) Effie Lee Newsome. She reminds the reader that eagles, oaks, mountains, and many birds are brown, and concludes, "Brown has mighty things to do."

All the illustrations were appealing and effective. I think my favorite might have been the one by Pat Cummings.

I do recommend the book, but note that it is an introductory text on the concept. I'm an adult, so I'm going to look for this book, listed in the bibliography: Shadowed Dreams: Women's Poetry of the Harlem Renaissance.

Rounded up my rating to 4 stars because this is an especially valuable book for the target audience and the adults who care directly for them.

[Claudia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a treasure. Usually I buy books and pass them on to a teacher friend. She's not getting this one. I need to read again, to sink into these poems, into the lives of these forgotten poets. And into Grimes's Golden Shovel poems.

Oh, and the original art!! The beautiful art.

Forgotten female poets of the Harlem Renaissance...women with towering talent, who shined for a while, and then seemed to slide back into a more mundane world. They left the high-powered world of artists and became teachers, librarians. They lived real lives, but their art was forgotten.

I flipped back and forth from the poems to the biographies of the poets...and I realized many -- a dozen-- were still living when I was born. Our dates overlap. They should have been read in my high school and college classes. They weren't.

Grimes has given the world a gift with these poets. She dug out emotional, strong, evocative poems and had them illustrated, and pulled out one strong line to rework as a Golden Shovel. I'm just in awe of this book. I'll keep it close to reread.

[Tina Athaide · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a treasure and introduces readers to the many outstanding women of the Harlem Renaissance. Nikki Grimes combines poetry from the Harlem Renaissance with her own poetry to create a story of a girl discovering forgotten African American women poets . What makes this collection unique is that Grimes uses the Golden Shovel method to create her own poems while also introducing other forms of poetry. The Golden Shovel method is where you take a short poem in its entirety, or a line or words from a poem, to create a new poem using those words from the original. At the end of the book, Grimes provides a biography about each woman recognized in the book. It gives this collection further authenticity to read about the inspiring stories of these women and the impact they made during that time.

Merit: The gorgeous illustrations add another layer of beauty to this poetry collection.

Verdict: This is one of those books we should have in all of our school libraries..

Thank you Netgalley and Bloomsbury Children's Books for the e-ARC.

[celine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gorgeously illustrated, it's most successful as a curated collection of Harlem Renaissance women poets; the author's 'remixes' are pretty hit or miss.

[Katrina · Rating 5 out of 5]

A poetic gem. I would give this to anyone who has an interest in poetry. Loved the formatting, the history, and the art!

[Michelle Glatt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewing for SLC--more on this excellent poetry book later

[Afoma (Reading Middle Grade) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this collection of poems. I thought they were very cleverly drawn from poems by women poets of the Harlem Renaissance. The poems are about womanhood, blackness and the intersection of both identities. This book would work for both middle-grade and adult audiences. If you enjoy real poetry, I would highly recommend.

Thanks to Bloomsbury for an eARC of this book (my first Nikki Grimes's) via Netgalley!

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

First sentence from the preface: For centuries, accomplished women, of all races, have fallen out of the historical records. In the music realm, for example, we’ve long known and lauded the name and compositions of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, but few are familiar with his equally gifted sister, Maria Anna Mozart, an accomplished instrumentalist and composer in her own right. In the sciences, we were taught the names of astronauts like John Glenn, but few could recite the names of early NASA scientists, mathematicians, and engineers like Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, and Christine Darden, who helped to make Glenn’s successful orbit of the earth possible. It took the Oscar-nominated Hollywood movie Hidden Figures, based on a book by Margot Lee Shetterly, to bring these groundbreaking women to light. Going further back in time, Hatshepsut, the only female pharaoh, all but disappeared from history until recent years. It should come as no surprise, then, that the names of gifted, even prolific, women poets of the Harlem Renaissance are little known, especially as compared to their male counterparts.

Premise/plot: Legacy: Women Poets of the Harlem Renaissance is a companion to her poetry collection, One Last Word. In this collection--told within a framework of a young girl discovering women poets of the Harlem Renaissance--readers read classic poems from the Harlem Renaissance and new poems by Nikki Grimes. Grimes uses the poetic format Golden Shovel.

It includes poems by the following writers: Mae V. Cowdery, Helene Johnson, Alice Dunbar-Nelson, Clarissa Scott Delany, Angelina Weld Grimké, Gertrude Parthenia McBrown , Anne Spencer, Jessie Redmon Fauset, Ida Rowland, Esther Popel, Effie Lee Newsome, Georgia Douglas Johnson, Blanche Taylor Dickinson, Lucy Ariel Williams, and Gwendolyn Bennett.

My thoughts: I loved, loved, loved, loved, loved, LOVED this collection. I loved reading the older poems. I loved Grimes' new poems as well. I'd describe the collection as exquisite, compelling, wonderful.

I read an ARC of the book. (It's not due to be published until 2021 according to GoodReads). My favorite poem is Prelude by Lucy Ariel Williams.

I know how a volcano must feel with molten lava Smoldering in its breast. Tonight thoughts, wild thoughts, Are smoldering In the very depths Of my being. I would hold them within me If I could. I would give them form If I could. I would make of them Something beautiful If I could. But they will not be formed; They will not be shaped. I must pour them out thus, Like molten lava. Shape them into beautiful dreams If you can. I know how a volcano must feel.

[Nicole M. Hewitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review and many more can be found on my blog: Feed Your Fiction Addiction

In this poetry collection, Nikki Grimes celebrates many of the unsung Black women poets of the Harlem Renaissance. Grimes shares one poem from each author and then uses that work as the creative springboard for her own verse via the poetic form of the Golden Shovel. In this form, the poet (in this case Grimes) takes a phrase from the original poem and uses each word from that phrase as the final word of a line in a new poem. (The form is explained in more detail at the beginning of the book itself, along with an introduction to the Harlem Renaissance poets). The result is that the reader is presented with a pair of poems that explores the Black experience, one from the perspective of a period poet and one from Grimes. Because Grimes is creating something altogether new from the original poets’ words, the poems don’t always match up thematically (though sometimes they do). It’s incredibly interesting to see where she takes the phrase that she chooses and how she finesses and molds it into a new existence. The collection celebrates Black women of the Renaissance period, but it also gives us a contemporary perspective. In addition, each pair of poems is accompanied by a piece of art from a Black woman artist. These stunning illustrations are an integral part of the reading experience, so I’d recommend picking up a physical copy of this book if you can!

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Legacy is an absolute gem. Nikki Grimes offers up a fantastic series of golden shovel poems to bring back the themes and imagery used by women in the Harlem Renaissance and brings her own wonderful style to the table while she's at it. The artists whose works were featured alongside Grimes's poetry all did an incredible job--I was already familiar with and loved a few of the artists featured (Vashti Harrison and Ekua Holmes, for example), but there were also several artists featured that I desperately want to see more from after this (for example Cathy Ann Johnson and Erin Robinson). The poems collected from women poets of the Harlem Renaissance in this book are a fantastic selection that I really enjoyed. I was only familiar with the works of a few writers (and before this I believe I had only read works from Georgia Douglas Johnson and Alice Dunbar-Nelson), so it was great to explore so many here, especially since short biographies of all the women are included at the end of the book.

Overall this book offers up beautiful poetry, beautiful art, and fascinating educational resources. It's not to be missed.

[C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 rounded up.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this work to review.

This book took a different turn than I expected, I had anticipated it being entirely poetry written during the Harlem Renaissance. Instead the poetry of the author was interspersed with poetry from women during the Harlem Renaissance and when I found this rhythm I discovered that it was an excellent way to cross past and present.

The poems feel relevant and fresh, and the way the two work together increases this feeling. Add a contextual historical essay at the beginning, and the biographical profiles at the end, and the book provides a solid picture of this poetry and the women who created them and time that it was created in.

The art chosen illustrates the poetry well and all in all I would consider this an excellent selection for children’s or youth poetry collections. Beautiful collection and will be recommending this to several of our libraries.

[Lois Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

When you think about the Harlem Renaissance, how many women can you name? Most people would name Lorraine Hansberry (playwright of "A Raisin in the Sun"). This collection edited by poet Nikki Grimes is a praise to the women who contributed to this essential movement one hundred years ago. Alternating between Grimes' poetry (and the illustrations) and poems by other modern female poets, are poems by Alice Dunbar-Nelson, Esther Popel (read "Flag Salute"), Angelina Weld Grimke (a relative of the famous abolitionists), and several more. The poems reflect the themes of racism and femininity of both the past and the present, which presents how not much has changed during the last century. Regardless, the poems are meaningful and enjoyable.

P.S. Anyone who enjoyed Amanda Gorman's inaugural poem (Inauguration Day 2021) should read this collection.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful illustration of how literature from a previous era can resonate with modern readers and writers. Grimes uses the Golden Shovel form to create new poems that engage with works from the Harlem Renaissance. This form takes a short poem, or a line from a longer poem, to create a new work that includes words from the original (explanation from Grimes’ author’s note).

Grimes engages with female poets of the Harlem Renaissance. As she notes in a preface, many Americans know the names of the Harlem Renaissance’s male poets: Cullen, Dunbar, Hughes. I regret to say I hadn’t heard of most of these women, but I applaud Grimes for introducing them to young readers. As a children’s librarian, it will be my pleasure to put this book in the hands of students in middle school and up.

[Dorothy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not a huge poetry reader, but this book caught my eye. Even more than the poetry, I think I enjoyed the illustrations that accompanied each poem. Grimes uses the Golden Shovel methodology for her poems, taking a line from each of the featured Harlem Renaissance poems and creating her own poem. I was not familiar with this approach, and I find it fascinating. As with most collections, be it short stories or poems, I really enjoyed some more than others. My biggest frustration was that the information about the Harlem Renaissance poets and the illustrators was all placed in the back of the book, so once I'd read the poems, I had to go back and place the information with the poem and illustration. There was no identification on the artworks of title or artist, and I found myself really wanting to know who created these rich pieces of art long before I reached the end of the book. This is a book I will likely go back to revisit when I have more time.

[Cathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The "rules" of Golden Shovel:
grab a striking line from a poem, or for short poems, take it in its entirety. Bold that striking line or poem.
Arrange that striking line or poem in a line, word by word, in the right margin
You then create. your new poem, keeping the borrowed line or poem as the last words of each line
The result is a lovely call and response from the ancestors to Ms. Grimes and back again. What a fabulous homage to these, until now, forgotten names that sit equal to Langston Hughes, Countee Cullen, and Paul Laurence Dunbar.

[Jennifer]

This was an amazing little book I stumbled upon in my city library. I’ve taught some of the Harlem Renaissance writers, but I met several more women within these pages. And Grimes’ skill with the Golden Shovel style…wow. First, I learned a new style. Second, I just kept shaking my head in wonder at her creativity and artistry.

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This young reader book is about the little known women poets of the Harlem Renaissance. The author uses The Golden Shovel method to create her poems based on the poems of these women. I love that each poem has an illustration from female African American illustrators.

[Maggie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is gorgeous, both in terms of the poetry and the art. I learned about a new form of poetry, and I also learned about several poets and artists, both historical and contemporary. One of my favorite books of the year!

[Amari · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful collection, first time I’ve ever encountered “golden shovel” poetry and I really liked it!

Favorites:
I Sit and Sew by Alice Dunbar Nelson**
Rondeau by Jessie Redmond Fauset
Tara Takes on Montclair by Nikki Grimes
Kneel by Nikki Grimes
At the Spring Dawn by Angelina Weld Grimké
Faithful by Nikki Grimes
Flag Salute by Esther Popel**

[Alicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked up this book to satisfy a category in my library’s book challenge, and I am SO glad I did! I wish I still taught English, because I want to teach this! I want to have my students write poetry using this as a mentor text!

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exceptional all the way through. The poetry selections, the original poetry, the artwork are all amazing and put together so well.

I love the style of the Golden Shovel and Grimes then crafts poetry based on the originals she chose. The story she weaves from those and her poems as well as the accompanying art is moving!

[Sarah M · Rating 5 out of 5]

"They lift me
from the smallness
of other's
expectations,
reminding me
that I am more
than anyone
gives me credit for."

[Kristen Iworsky · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful book. I had never heard of the Golden Shovel method of writing poetry. So incredible. I appreciated the biographies in the back of the book.