This book is a collection of poems written by African American poets around the time of the Harlem Renaissance thru contemporary times. Personal commentary by Nikki Giovanni, a professor of English at Virginia Polytechnic Institute follows each poem and offers insight into the importance and connection each poet from the time of the Harlem Renaissance has had on others following them. Giovanni’s style is very personal and educational. Her commentary pairs her own passion for words with observations on the influence that the poets have on her, each other and in the greater realm of history and literature. I recommend this book for older middle school students thru adult because some of the content may be too upsetting or confusing for younger readers (i.e. the poem by Ntozake Shange, gives graphic detail about clitorectomy). I liked this book because it gives a passionate voice to the importance that the Harlem Renaissance had on not only African American poets, but also its influence on American art as a whole. Overall, its tone is very readable and kid-friendly.

This book uses poetry of a range of African American writers and commentary by Giovanni to tell the history of the Harlem Renaissance and how it affected even regular people in their everyday lives. The poems are grouped by author and the authors are arranged in chronological order by their birth years, to protray the progression of history and events. ( )