This “occasional poet’s” humble attempt to summarize the historical and persistent experience of almost any African American, but equally, your invitation for the second leg of our voyage. An opportunity to analyze the human condition from a black perspective through the lens of entertaining, educational, and inspirational literature.

While the old adage, “You can’t judge a book by its cover remains true,” the cover’s artwork, a ship packed with grossly undervalued, individual, ebon treasures pitching and rolling, illustrates the intended experience for the reader.

In this second volume, the individual works serve as road markers mapping out a perilous journey to which all descendants of the African continent can relate. An experience often ascribed solely to the sun-kissed but equally accessible to open-minded and less melanin-blessed individuals.

In our first collective excursion, Urwy’s Warning, you’re treated to a surreal, mythological piece of historical fiction. A veritable and entertaining exercise in hindsight toward the most critical interruption of African history and progress.

Thomas’ work, an excerpt from her upcoming novel, My House Cried Tears, more than adequately illustrates an all too common but not nearly sufficiently explored and championed theme. That of a resilient child unduly burdened and ill-equipped for the responsibilities of adult life who still manages to retain episodes of comedic joy reminiscent of Richard Wright’s Black Boy.

Shatter, by Children’s Literature author Senyah Haynes diverges from her more popularly known craft and propels us through the universal experiences of sudden, unnecessary tragic loss while expertly retaining a vital, innocent point of view. A testament to Haynes’ superb versatility in terms of subject matter.