Passion

Re-issue of classic volume unjustly out of print

Barack Obama made a line from this book famous: "We are the ones we have been waiting for." Foreword by Nicole Sealey, poet and former Executive Director of Cave Canem, is writing a foreword. Nicole is widely beloved in the poetry community for the "Sealey Challenge," a popular social media challenge to read a book of poems each day in August. Contains some of Jordan's most hard-hitting political poems, poems about police violence, segregation, and rape, including "Poem about My Rights" Includes an essay by June Jordan in defense of Walt Whitman, "For the Sake of People's Poetry." The essay is an argument for the uplift of accessible poetry, relatable poetry, culturally rooted poetry-a mission statement June's own poetry. June Jordan's poetry speaks pointedly to the present moment and fervent calls for social justice Jordan spent half a century as one of the most admired, influential, and accessible public intellectuals in the United States. Her thinking still affects us to this day. Jordan's work was unflinchingly intersectional as she boldly explores the entanglements of her Blackness, femininity, bisexuality. Started the renowned arts and activism program Poetry for the People at UC Berkeley. As readers reach for Black voices to continue their learning about race and class in America, this volume will be waiting. Jordan maintains a sure optimism.