The Language Lane

Way behind because of personal matters, I wanted to post this last month. These remarks, made when the book first appeared, still ring true for me. Review May We Forever Stand: A History of the Black National Anthem is a thoroughly engrossing read. Imani Perry’s exploration of the origin, evolution, and resonance of this fabled song by James Weldon Johnson and Rosamond Johnson contributes mightily to our understanding of Black cultural and political development from the early

Taught by Women: Poems as Resistance Language, New and Selected is a love letter, a Black valentine, by Haki R. Madhubuti to women of all stripes who have contributed positively to the social being that he is. If his emotional capacity is vibrant, they primarily shaped it. If his understanding is now vast, they are largely responsible. Haki’s appreciation takes the form of a captivating volume of poetry and prose that makes his adoration plain and displays his tribute as beau