INHERITANCE

An illustrated poem that acknowledges prejudice and celebrates Black hair.

Award-winning author and poet Acevedo opens with an insult that will resonate with Black girls and women: “Some people tell me to ‘fix’ my hair.” Her powerful response comes at the very end: “You can’t fix what was never broken.” In between, many themes are explored, some of which apply to Black people broadly, while others specifically reference Dominican culture. Throughout, Pippins’ hand-drawn and digital illustrations showcase an incredible array of natural hairstyles and details, such as the image of a ship within the braided pattern of one character’s hair. Impressively, the poem goes beyond typical dialogues about Black hair, acknowledging Black people’s internalized racism that comes from beauty standards grounded in White supremacy. The poem highlights the reputation that Dominicans have for being able to “flatten the spring in any lock,” following that line with a powerful reframing. From there, Acevedo moves into discussing colorism⁠—in particular, the prejudice against lighter-skinned people partnering with darker-skinned people—and more. Pippins’ bright, colorful, and evocative art covers full pages, lovingly portraying the all-Black cast with a diverse range of skin tones and hair textures. The text varies in size, seamlessly incorporated into the art. An incredible amount of reflection appears in this slim volume, making this a wonderful choice for group discussions.

Brave, sharp, and powerful.