This body of work was inspired by the social justice movement of the same name that first came to light in early 2015 and was re-popularized after the events of 2020. Elliot writes that she prefers using her words on a page rather than her feet on the ground, starting an artistic movement to celebrate the courage and resilience of Black girls everywhere. This book contains 49 poems of different lengths that all tie into her theme of "Black Girl Magic meets Black Lives Matter." She celebrates our foremothers, demonstrating how far we have come as well as showing how far we have to go. These poems cover a variety of topics, celebrating the wonderful parts of being alive as well as addressing the heartbreaking realities that face so many in our world today. She covers the importance of self-care, the horrors of police brutality, the calls for social justice that ring just as loudly today as they did when she wrote her poems in 2018. It truly is a book of poetry for our time, reminding us that we are warriors and that we can truly do anything, as long as we join our hands and do it together, leaving no one behind ( )

I'll start with "Say Her Name" by Zetta Elliot. movement of the same name that first surfaced in early 2015 and re-emerged after the events of 2020. As Elliot writes, she prefers to write rather than walk, starting an artistic movement to honor and celebrate the courage and resilience of Black girls everywhere. This book contains 49 poems of different lengths that all tie into her theme of "Black Girl Magic meets Black Lives Matter." She celebrates our foremothers, demonstrating how far we have come as well as showing how far we still have to go.
The poems address several topics, celebrating the beauty of life as well as the heartbreaking struggles that challenge us. She covers the importance of self-care, the horrors of police brutality, and the calls for social justice that ring just as loudly today as they did when she wrote her poems in 2018. A book of poetry for our age, these poems show how we can do anything, once we join our hands and do it together, leaving no one behind. ( )

This collection of poems was inspired, according to the author's Introduction, by “examples of Black excellence reported online alongside accounts of appalling brutality.” This book, she explains, is her way of bearing witness. She ends the Introduction frankly:

“We do have allies, but some days it feels like all we have is each other. This book of poetry is for us. I love us.”

The poems are for the most part affirming, and begin with my favorite in the collection, “Black Girl Miracle.” It addresses a black girl, explaining:

“You are more
Than magic
You are a miracle
Because we were never
Meant to survive
Not as human beings….”

One, called “How to Resist,” ends with the heartrending coda:

“most of all:
feel something
feel something
feel something”

The last poem, called “Blessing,” is also a favorite of mine in this collection. (Okay, okay, it’s actually hard to pick favorites - they are all truly excellent.). “Blessing” begins:

“May you have a resilient spirit,
And a compassionate heart,
The desire to heal,
And the will to forgive.”

This one has a strong coda too, made up of three stanzas I want to cite in full, because they resonated so much with me:

“Indictments are rare
Like snow in the Sahara
Or cops behind bars

Innocence belongs
To other people’s children
Ours are born condemned

Stop killing us stop
Killing us stop killing us
Stop killing us STOP.”

Not all the 49 poems in this book are by Elliott, although most of them are. She includes one work each by Audre Lorde, Lucille Clifton, Nikki Giovanni, and Phillis Wheatley.

Boldly-colored Illustrations by Loveis Wise convey strength and resilience, complementing the message of the text.

Evaluation: This excellent collection of poems, celebrating black women and girls, is so needed in these times, and is both stirring and uplifting. ( )

Powerful, uplifting, shaming, defying poems! Every single poem in this collection spoke to me as a woman and as a white woman who feels shame, curiosity, and womanhood. Some poems felt universal while others felt very particular. Excellent collection! ( )

Poems that Empower, Say Her Name empowers. During a time of unrest and increased exposure to racial injustice, each poem gives us bite-size insight of Zetta Elliott's life experiences. The voices of black women and black girls come to life. The "notes" section in the back of the book gives further backstory of Elliott's life and the meaning behind the words and events. The "notes" further educates the reader and explains the stories of the black lives that were taken unjustly and too soon. ( )