Branches of the Tree of Life by Abiodun Oyewole

While written primarily by African American poets, writers, activists and scholars, selections are also from people of the Latino and African diasporas, and white activists.

This anthology of essays, personal narratives, poetry and prose is organized 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' that addresses a wide range of hot-button issues that disproportionately impact the black community. Expand Descriptionīlack Lives Have Always Mattered: A Collection of Essays, Poems, and Personal NarrativesīLACK LIVES HAVE ALWAYS MATTERED, A COLLECTION OF ESSAYS, POEMS AND PERSONAL NARRATIVES, edited by Abiodun Oyewole, extends beyond the Black Lives Matter movement's primary agenda of police brutality to acknowledge that even when affronted with slavery, segregation and Jim Crow, racial injustice and inequality, black lives have always mattered. In THE BEAUTY OF BEING, Oyewole connects to readers with sincerity, humor, heart and grace. Throughout THE BEAUTY OF BEING, Oyewole brilliantly yet subtly interweaves mediations on race, class, culture, life and death, illusion and reality, while deftly showcasing several points of view in a contained space. Perhaps the most riveting part of this book are his stories of remembrance, which at first glance read like a travelogue but when closely examined, is a love story with a beautiful mediation on grief and loss. In his essays, he provides an analysis about The Last Poets, the state of poetry today, and shares first-hand accounts of what activism means to him. In his fables, Oyewole has a unique eye for the tiniest details that sheds light on the whole.

As the title suggests, THE BEAUTY OF BEING investigates a natural, moral, and sacred spiritual being of self-love, reminding readers if they use these elements as part of the beauty within, endless possibilities await. Oyewole writes frankly about his experience as a young poet and activist, and provides life lessons with fables and a fascinating travelogue that promotes resilience and self-care to his readers. THE BEAUTY OF BEING, A COLLECTION OF FABLES, SHORT STORIES AND ESSAYS, is Abiodun Oyewole's debut collection of prose.

Branches of the Tree of Life by Abiodun Oyewole