And We Rise

A powerful and eye-opening collection of poetry that chronologically captures the Civil Rights Movement in 1950s-1960s America.

“Poems that leap off the pages, bringing history, pain, dignity, and fierce determination to life.”—Booklist

“Serves not only as a history lesson but also a conversation starter about the civil rights movement.”—School Library Connection, starred review

In spare and evocative verse, Erica Martin's debut poetry collection walks readers through the Civil Rights Movement—the well-documented events that shaped the nation’s treatment of Black people, beginning with the “Separate but Equal” ruling—and introduces lesser-known figures and moments that were just as crucial to the Movement and our nation’s centuries-long fight for justice and equality.

And We Rise is a poignant, powerful, all-too-timely collection that is both a vital history lesson and much-needed conversation starter in our modern world, complete with historical photographs, author's note, chronology of events, research, and sources.