Overview

"Black Lives, Lines, & Lyrics conveys the 21st Century Black experience through lines and verse. Divided into three measures, this poetry collection provides rhythmical reflections on black experiences with racial and social injustice, a poetic account of the lives lost to police brutality and racial violence, and a lyrical celebration of the beauty, resilience, and humanity of Black people. Part I, ""Black Lyrics,"" provides a poetic perspective of the highs and lows of living while Black in the 21st Century. Part II, ""Black Lives,"" is a poetic account of the lives lost to police brutality and racial violence. Part III, ""Black Lines,"" is a nod to a different kind of poetic form, rap music, or Hip Hop, paying homage to the best of Black Excellence. Readers agree that Black Lives, Lines, and Lyrics is a ""body of art,"" an ""amazing book of lyrical content,"" and ""one of the most profound books"" they have read ""since the likes of Zora Neale Hurston and Maya Angelou."" Author D.B. Mays ""invites you to have a better understanding of the experiences of Black Lives in a three-part journey."" Poems, like ""AmeriKKKa,"" ""Hypocrisy on the Hill,"" and ""The Black Book: Lessons You Should Know"" are ""thought-provoking and liberating."" One reader called the work an ""overdue gem that navigates through one of civilization's most sad and challenging realities. D.B. Mays covers so many bases with tremendous grace, style and clarity. A must-read for staying connected with today's call for universal peace and justice."" Other readers wrote that it is an ""absolutely amazing book of poetry and lyrical content"" ""has such a wide variety of poetry,"" and ""compelling storytelling."" Poems, such as ""Stunning,"" ""My Grandparents' Living Room,"" ""Goldilocks,"" ""The Run,"" and ""#SayHerName"" evoke ""emotional"" responses that make readers nostalgic, laugh, and even cry. The book aims to help people of all backgrounds gain an appreciation for the beauty and endurance of Black people while bringing the realities of the discrimination and racism that Black people face in America and really, around the world, to the forefront of our social consciousness, conversations, and communities. This poetry collection is written for Black people, about Black people, and to Black people but it is also, an open and standing invitation to non-Black people to get to know us and our experiences a little better."

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9781736581421

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Reviews

Reviewer 1: This body of art is one of the most profound books I have read since being exposed to the likes of Zora Neale Hurston and Maya Angelou. The Author D.B. Mays invites you to have a better understanding of the experiences of Black Lives in a three-part journey. Upon reading the first sentence in the Preface, I knew I was beginning a journey that would prove to be thought-provoking and liberating. ...This book is brilliantly composed and is worth purchasing. Reviewer 2: Every page is captivating ... read 'Black Haven' and '8 minutes and 46 seconds!' Reviewer 3: I was gifted this book by my mother. Honestly, I'm in awe at the work in this book. I got emotional for quite a few poems, cried even! I've even bought my cousin a copy, and she loves it too - we've shared certain poems with friends and read our favorites to each other. I'm so glad you wrote this book! This generation has a new read. Reviewer 4: This book is an outstanding resource to lead us in discussing racial violence, police brutality, and Black empowerment. Reviewer 5: Absolutely amazing book of poetry and lyrical content! A rare achievement in using an old art form to provide social commentary on contemporary racial issues of today. It's brutally honest, yet optimistic. Painfully reflective yet luminous and aspirational. ... . After a year like 2020, Black Lives, Lines, and Lyrics came right on time. If you love great literature and thought-provoking content, this is the book for you. If not, give it a try anyway. You might be surprised just how much you enjoy this compilation of brilliant pieces. Reviewer 6: Great book for the classroom to have colorful and invigorating discussions on these provocative poems! Reviewer 7: This anthology of literary excellence is enriching to the soul and honors the history and legacy of Black Lives. I encourage everyone to purchase this poetic literary work and share it with friends, colleagues, and your communities! This anthology is a great text to support conversations around race ... Reviewer 8: Every page is captivating ... read 'Black Haven' and '8 minutes and 46 seconds!'

Author Information

Black Lives, Lines, and Lyrics is the first book by D.B. Mays, a highly decorated urban educator who has spent over two decades working on the local and national levels to promote education equity and support the education and empowerment of students in underserved schools and communities. In addition to her own lived experiences with institutional racism, racial and social injustice, and education, housing, and healthcare inequities, the Black Lives Matter movement and the victims of racial violence inspired her to write this work. Her poetry collection explores a variety of themes ranging from Blackness, discrimination, life, loss, trauma, racial violence, and revolution. She is also the author of the forthcoming historical fiction series The Tree of Anglee. A proud HBCU graduate and mother of two, she lives in Atlanta, Georgia with her husband.

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