Light For The World To See: A Thousand Words on Race and Hope – Powerful Poetry on Racism, Black Lives, and Oppression in America

by Kwame Alexander

From NPR correspondent and New York Times bestselling author, Kwame Alexander, comes a powerful and provocative collection of poems that cut to the heart of the entrenched racism and oppression in America and eloquently explores ongoing events.   A book in the tradition of James Baldwin’s “A Report from Occupied Territory,”  Light for the World to See is a rap session on race. A lyrical response to the struggles of Black lives in our world . . . to America’s crisis of conscience . . . to the centuries of loss, endless resilience, and unstoppable hope.   Includes an introduction by the author and a bold, graphically designed interior.

Genres: Poetry, Nonfiction, Race, Audiobook, Social Justice, Adult, African American

96 pages, Hardcover

First published November 17, 2020

About the author

Kwame Alexander is a poet, educator, and New York Times Bestselling author of 21 books, including The Crossover, which received the 2015 John Newbery Medal for the Most Distinguished Contribution to American literature for Children, the Coretta Scott King Author Award Honor, The NCTE Charlotte Huck Honor, the Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award, and the Passaic Poetry Prize. Kwame writes for children of all ages. His other works include Surf's Up, a picture book; Booked, a middle grade novel; and He Said She Said, a YA novel.

Kwame believes that poetry can change the world, and he uses it to inspire and empower young people through his PAGE TO STAGE Writing and Publishing Program released by Scholastic. A regular speaker at colleges and conferences in the U.S., he also travels the world planting seeds of literary love (Singapore, Brazil, Italy, France, Shanghai, etc.). Recently, Alexander led a delegation of 20 writers and activists to Ghana, where they delivered books, built a library, and provided literacy professional development to 300 teachers, as a part of LEAP for Ghana, an International literacy program he co-founded.

Reviews

[Bookishrealm · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS. WAS. SO. POWERFUL...

I'm not even sure how to explain how beautiful and meaningful this book was to me. This is only my second Kwame Alexander book and I loved it. This book is short and I highly recommend listening to it on audio. It was like listening to spoken word. It is comprised of three poems each detailing the Black experience in America. I don't want to go into details about the poems because that's the beauty of this work. I would highly recommend reading it a few times or listening to it a few times. This is not a book that you will understand in a single sitting. Take your time. Appreciate each word. Examine what meaning Alexander is attempting to make with his work. Either way I believe that this is a book of it's time and I'm so excited to continue to read more from him.

[Chasity · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short but not simple. I expect the best every time I read Alexander’s work and he definitely delivers.

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

This came in the mail today, I ripped open the package and read the whole thing standing in my kitchen. Powerful words and interesting visual elements, I can see myself revisiting this often.

[disco · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is for
the unafraid.

[Deborah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kwame Alexander said that he wrote these verses as a rallying cry about racism, solidarity, and police brutality and its effect on Black America. Three short poems address George Floyd’s death, the kneeling of Colin Kaepernick during the playing of the U.S. anthem at football games, and after the election of President Obama and the birth of his daughter. “America Bullets” is a courageous litany of can’ts. “Take the Knee” is a realization of takes. “The Undefeated” is of the power of being black and undefeated. It is well worth for you to take a moment out of your day for this short and powerful read.

[Jenna]

i picked this book up per my mom's recommendation (she loves npr!) and even though this is a tiny book of three poems, those three poems packed so much punch!! first of all the design and graphics were absolutely stunning, but i loved how the author used so much repetition to really force you to think about the words on the page. i think short books and poetry collections can seem almost meaningless because they're so brief, but i think that just forces you to stop and really think about the words that much more. i think the first poem was my favorite - the repetition of WE CAN'T was so powerful - but the third one made me tear up.

obviously these poems are not written for me since it's all about Black lives and racism, particularly with police brutality, but i'm so glad i picked it up all the same. it's always great to get more perspective and i think i'll have to pick up some more of kwame's work to really get to know his voice more!

[Tammie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so short and powerful - I'm not the biggest fan of poetry, but this was really impactful. The visuals also enhanced the words which I loved, but I do want to give this a go on audio as well if I can get my hands on it. 10/10 would recommend.

[Mr. Armstrong · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm going to read this many, many times.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Powerful

[Leslie - Shobizreads · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very short book, but when I saw it was one of my boys’ fav authors, I knew we had to read it.

This includes 3 poems about race and America at three very different points in time. Initially it may seem simple with its length, but it is extremely powerful - poems about all the things Black people can’t do, including breath after George Floyd’s death.

This is fantastic for adults but I especially encourage you to read it with your kids. My boys are ages 9-14 and we had great discussions after reading this one

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kwame Alexander is one of my favorite poets. I love his work. So when I saw this little volume in the bookstore I had to purchase it. I started reading the day I bought it back in October or November, and I intended to finish it during Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving came and went, and I never re-opened it. I decided to complete the foreword, and then go through the individual poems tonight.

This took a lot of courage to write. Writers are activists in their own right, and this is the fruit of Alexander's activism. This book of poetry is Alexander's artistic response to the litany of anti-black racism in the United States. When an African American writer, poet, thinker engages what has happened this summer in America, she or he has to contextualize these painful events. This is what Alexander does in these poems. These poems tell a present story that is rooted in an atrocious past. As a historian I appreciate this.

Though I felt the pain reading these poems, I also relished Alexander's artfulness. He is highly intertextual. The title is a rift of(let's call it a sample) Mos Def's "Umi Says." In the final poem, Alexander pays tribute to the Poet Laureate of the Harlem Renaissance, Langston Hughes, dropping a plethora of his poetic references. One more thing to add on the art: Alexander kept his signature style of pithy yet dramatic lines that grab the attention.

Last thing, this book is meant to be read over and over. I can see myself reading these aloud in my African American history course, or my Black Lives Matter course. I appreciate this little volume so much. And it's the 50th book I've read this strange year. Praise God for books! Praise God for courageous writers!

[Abby Johnson]

Collecting three powerful poems that speak about race and the horrific rash of violence against Black people, this sleekly designed book would make a great gift for anyone looking to keep the fight for justice on the forefront of their minds. It's a short book that could be a quick read, but it's one to return to again and again to remind ourselves (those who need to be reminded) that there is work to be done.

[Sarah Krajewski · Rating 4 out of 5]

I already knew two of the three poems in this book, including The Undefeated, which was the picture book that won the 2020 Caldecott. I love Kwame’s words, for they are powerful and will make readers think, but some words and images aren’t meant to be separated.

[Daniel Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really thought this book was powerful and it was riveting. This book was short which I like reading. This book Kwame Alexander talked about the Black Lives Matter and how the history of Black movement came to be.

[Noelle Kukenas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Released today and I devoured it. I will read this again and again. It's right up there with James Baldwin's "A Report from Occupied Territory."

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kwame Alexander is a lyrical genius, which I already knew, but now I REALLY KNOW IT. America, read this one.

[Dawn (noladawnreads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

UNflinchingly beautiful

Kwame Alexander is a genius storyteller and poet and so moving. Reading this now, 2.5 years later I’m moved to tears as we sit in the wake of yet another life taken. Kwame’s words ring true and ache, needlessly.

[Jennifer Mangler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Powerful and thought-provoking.

[Alisia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short, but powerful. Excellent on audio.

[Sukrit Goswami · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an inspiring and powerful book.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

The second poem definitely resonated with me the most. The graphic design really added to the impact of the words. Highly recommend!

[Dani · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short yet powerful and moving. I read the first poem and had the names of Black men and women killed by police running through my head. I read the second and third with tears in my eyes. Then I read them all again out loud. And again. These words, their placement, and the illustrations behind them are mighty, eloquent, emotional, and thought provoking. A beautiful reflection on the loss, violence, hope and resilience of the Black community that I recommend to everyone.

[Philip · Rating 4 out of 5]

I saw this on the shelf at the library and thought, you know: I've read Kwame Alexander for kids. Let's pick up something of his for adults.

...And then I got home and paged through it, and thought: oh no. I'm going to have to give a Kwame Alexander book one-star. Well, I don't like that. Especially after I gave his YA book only 3-stars...

It looked to me like Take Me With You by Andrea Gibson. Gibson is a poet I could really appreciate. But Take Me With You is a book of like... quotes that fill up a page. Not even half-poems. Not even poems at all. The best lines of poems that, when removed from the poem are vapors of their former selves.

But it wasn't like that. These were three complete poems. Heavy-hitting, as was intended.

There are turns of phrase. Plays on words. The repetition and cadence that defines spoken word poetry.

But an understated bit that stood out to me was the foreword: Freedom Now. Kwame on a bridge in Brooklyn, marching. Protesting the police killing of Arthur Miller, Crown Heights Black civic leader. No shit, click the link. 1978. It's a reminder, again, and again that our black brothers and sisters don't respond with, "Oh no, not again," but rather, "Will it never end?"

As Macklemore said, "Now every month there's a new Rodney on YouTube. It's just something our generation is used to."

And we shouldn't be.

And my white brothers and sisters reading Coates asked why there was no hope at the end of Between the World and Me... (Reading 1, Reading 2 just takes you back to my first review, which I stand behind.)

[Mari Bianco · Rating 5 out of 5]

Two of the poems in this book I’ve read before and have taught in my classroom since they first appeared on ESPN. And I discovered that “Take a Knee” was even written during Kwame’s first visit to our school in September 2016. (Not only are the place and date written on the contents page, but I confirmed this with Kwame; it’s 100% fact!) A lot was going on in the world on September 21, 2016. Terence Krutcher and Keith Lamont Scott, two innocent Black men, had just be killed by white police officers only days apart. And Kwame’s poem was a message of hope about standing up for what you feel is right, for what IS right. Now, in 2021, Black lives are still being taken to police brutality, and so many more horrifying events have occurred. But, through it all, Kwame’s LIGHT FOR THE WORLD TO SEE rings true. Thank you for writing this book, dear friend. Thank you for lighting our world with hope.

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Emotional. Powerful. Intense.

I had the urge to listen to Kwame read these poems on repeat just to hear the messages resound and echo through my heart and mind but ultimately decided that I shouldn't do that all at once. The continued political climate being as touchy as a powder keg makes these words especially poignant and effective. Stand up and be the change, he encourages and we should all take heed.

[Tiffany · Rating 5 out of 5]

A short, yet powerful collection of poetry that lyrically speaks on racism and the hope for change in America, and for the Black community.

Alexander takes a thousand words, scatters them amongst three poetic pieces, and ignites a spark within the reader.

I would recommend this collection to fans of Hanif Abdurraqib or Jason Reynolds.

[Angelina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really love what Kwame Alexander did with colors and spacing around the poetry: the crosses on the flag, a mini-graveyard of remembrance, yellows and blacks like police-tape everywhere.... The poetry was lovely, but the visuals made it stunning.

[Soula Kosti · Rating 4 out of 5]

“We all want to be a part of the change that’s happening in the world. So, yes, we are fired up, because we can’t take no more. And we are coming for our freedom.”

A short, powerful collection of three poems by Kwame Alexander that are characterized as chants and songs of protest.

[Marty Nwachukwu · Rating 2 out of 5]

I appreciated the illustrative manner that the poetry was presented. There was a strong introduction to this book, but beyond that, the poetry itself was not very substantive (that is, for the subject matter there are other books, articles, and poems that feel fuller).

[Janie · Rating 5 out of 5]

As Amy said, lyrical genius. 96 pages, usually 3 to 5 words per page. But the human emotions behind those sparse words and scant pages are immeasurable.