The Undefeated by Kwame Alexander; Kadir Nelson (Illustrator)Call Number: Picture Books PS3601.L35388 U53 2019
Caldecott Medal Winner, Newberry Honor Award Winner, Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award, and Carter G. Woodson Award Winner
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.