Oaks

Our crown has already been bought and paid for. All we have
to do is wear it.
~ James Baldwin

I love our ego tripping arrogance—
the audacity to claim this world as our rightful inheritance.

Inheritance, Black as the dirt—rich soil,
there is no life without us.

Vital, essential—there is no dispensing of us.
We are not expendable.

We expand, grow like mighty oaks of righteousness—
a planting of the LORD.

Drew E. Jackson is a poet who writes at the intersection of justice, peace, and contemplation, having a passion to contribute toward a more just and whole world. His debut poetry collection, God Speaks Through Wombs, is set to be released by InterVarsity Press in September 2021. He holds a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Chicago and an M.A. in Theology from Fuller Theological Seminary. While he’s not traversing the world of poetry, Jackson spends his time pastoring Hope East Village, a church that he planted in 2018. He also serves as the President of Pax, an organization focused on promoting the peace of Jesus in the 21st century. You can download a mini collection of Jackson’s poetry for free.

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2021 Black History Month Recommendations for the Whole Family

Compiled by Dominique Gilliard

These lists are nowhere near exhaustive. A multitude of other great resources like Reading While Black, Who Will Be a Witness, Becoming, The Souls of Black Folk, The Miseducation of the Negro, and The Parable of the Sower could very well be on a list of this nature.