The Undefeated

The faces of African Americans gaze out soulfully, individually and collectively, at readers from the pages and illuminate a poem about how Black Lives Matter and always have. Kadir Nelson’s portraits picture people from past and present who are defiant and confident and who anyone would be proud to know. The final spread features children looking forward hopefully to the future. The artist has long been known in the USA for his nuanced illustrations which portray Black people in a painterly style which is almost photographic. It is good to be able to recognise his work in the UK too. The author is known for his verse novels which have been shortlisted for the CLiPPA