The undefeated

Publisher summary:
https://lccn.loc.gov/2018035030

The Newbery Award-winning author of The Crossover pens an ode to black American triumph and tribulation, with art from a two-time Caldecott Honoree. Originally performed for ESPN's The Undefeated, this poem is a love letter to black life in the United States. It highlights the unspeakable trauma of slavery, the faith and fire of the civil rights movement, and the grit, passion, and perseverance of some of the world's greatest heroes. The text is also peppered with references to the words of Martin Luther King, Jr., Langston Hughes, Gwendolyn Brooks, and others, offering deeper insights into the accomplishments of the past, while bringing stark attention to the endurance and spirit of those surviving and thriving in the present. Robust back matter at the end provides valuable historical context and additional detail for those wishing to learn more.

Contents

Historical figures and events featured in 'The Undefeated': Jesse Owens -- Slavery -- Jack Johnson -- Romare Bearden -- Zora Neale Hurston -- Jacob Lawrence -- Henry Ossawa Tanner -- Augusta Savage -- Phillis Wheatley -- Langston Hughes -- Aaron Douglas -- Black soliders during the Civil War -- John Lewis -- Civil Rights Movement -- The Transatlantic slave trade -- Addie Mae Collins, Cynthia Wesley, Carole Robertson, and Carol Denise McNair (16th Street Baptist Church bombing, 1963, Birmingham, Alabama) -- Sandra Bland -- Michael Bowen -- Tamir Rice -- Trayvon Martin -- Martin Luther King Jr. -- Wilma Rudolph -- Michael Jordan -- Althea Gibson -- Muhammad Ali -- Sheryl Swoopes -- Jesse Owens -- Serena Williams -- Reece Whitley -- LeBron James -- Thelonious Monk -- Louis Armstrong -- Billie Holiday -- Miles Davis -- Duke Ellington -- Sarah Vaughn -- Ella Fitzgerald.