CLOSURE: Central Library will be closed Tuesday, July 21, through Saturday, July 25, while emergency repairs are made to the building’s cooling system. We expect to reopen Monday, July 27. Click for more details on holds, program schedules, and returns during the closure. 

Notice of Public Meeting: Kalamazoo Public Library Board of Trustees | July 27 | 5:30 pm | Central Library/Van Deusen Room. The packet of information for the meeting can be found on the library’s website

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Black Lives Have Always Mattered, a Collection of Essays, Poems, and Personal Narratives

Year

2025

Language

ENGLISH

Publication Information

2Leaf Press

Summary

BLACK LIVES HAVE ALWAYS MATTERED, A COLLECTION OF ESSAYS, POEMS AND PERSONAL NARRATIVES, edited by Abiodun Oyewole with an afterword by Felipe Luciano, sends a powerful reminder to readers that black lives have always mattered. This anthology is divided into five sections: "Mourning Black Lives That Mattered," "Black Skin/White Masks," "Black Spaces/Black Places," "Black Lives Remembered/Reclaimed," and "The Legacy of Black Protest Continues." It tackles a variety of pressing issues and racial inequalities that disproportionately affect the black community. While the majority of the writings come from African American poets, writers, activists, and scholars, it also includes contributions from individuals of Latino/a and African descent, as well as white activists. Together, these 79 contributors issue a call to action, urging readers to examine their long-standing beliefs about black lives, white privilege, and fragility, while reflecting on the historical and ongoing impacts of racism and structural inequality. By linking the past with the present, the contributors of BLACK LIVES HAVE ALWAYS MATTERED offer a thought-provoking and compelling collection that could inspire a renewed movement for black liberation and equality for everyone.

Subjects