Audacity Book Club: February Read

By Nic Daniels

Happy Black History Month, audacious readers!

It may be the shortest month, but it’s getting more books than any other!...and by that, I mean it gets two books. Last month, we got to dip our toes in a nostalgic but modern twist on a young DC hero with Teen Titans: Beast Boy by Kami Garcia & Gabriel Picolo. This month, it’s back to reality with Ain’t Never Not Been Black by Javon Johnson and Helium by Rudy Francisco.

Javon Johnson and Rudy Francisco are two awarded black poets that capture black survival, masculinity, joy, and love in their work. Both are national poetry slam champions and features on various TV shows from TV One’s “Verses and Flow” to the latest season of “The Bachelorette.” Each volume delivers messages that pull the reader into their daily lives, struggles, and triumphs.

In Ain’t Never Not Been Black, Javon delivers an audacious (see what I did there?) volume that is brutally honest about the plight of African Americans while growing up in California. He flows from topics of police brutality to growing up in the 1990’s to wanting to be “black famous” and more. He draws you in and forces you to feel the lows and the highs of life from a minority perspective as well as budding hope that things will get better.

On the flipside, in Helium, Rudy is the quieter companion of Johnson’s but still has just as much to say. He speaks of love, blackness, and mental health as well as the difficulty of navigating all three at once. Pain and joy are intrinsically interwoven throughout his work in a way that is unflinchingly personal and undeniably entertaining.

Ain’t Never Not Been Black and Helium are two reflective, high quality poetry volumes. These books are available at most bookstores and your local library. I would also encourage you to watch their spoken word performances on YouTube to see their skills in action.

I hope you enjoy, and I will see you at the end of the month for the full review. Until then, don’t forget to read audaciously!