AND WE RISE

This collection guides readers through the era of civil rights activism that began when racial segregation in schools was deemed illegal by the Supreme Court in Brown v. Board of Education.

Debut author Martin surveys events and figures from the 1950s and 1960s in poetic musings that often take advantage of their forms to situate readers in these suffocating, intense decades of racial violence. Historical photographs are juxtaposed against the text, adding to the impact. Martin’s work is most effective when revealing lesser-known aspects of history—like a quiet, haunting meditation on how Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. enjoyed playing pool or an ode highlighting Claudette Colvin, unsung teen precursor to Rosa Parks. However, awkward phrasing comes across as dissonant when dealing with the horrors discussed throughout, as with these lines: “This is the story of Emmett Till / about the way he was ultimately killed // he crossed his murderers at / Bryant’s Grocery and Meat Market / no one would save him / no one would stop it.” Readers who overlook the sometimes-underwhelming craft elements will appreciate places where the writing shines, as when a participant in the Memphis sanitation strike wonders: “3/5 of a man, / am I / still?”

Sparse, accessible pieces to connect budding poets to history, marred by inconsistent quality.