In the pages of Black Boy Poems, you will experience the fight, struggle, love, anger, frustration, critical analysis, and hope for a better future which is all present in the heart, mind, and soul of its author, Tyson Amir. Black Boy Poems was birthed in the throes of the violent racism and systemic devaluation of black people which has become a cornerstone of American culture. A pain that ugly and deep is necessary for a work such as this to have been authored. There is never a moment in this text where you are not confronted with the harsh realities that define the black experience. This book is thoroughly black, and Tyson Amir channels the essence of West African griots to tell the stories of his people in the most unapologetic terms. Once you open the pages, you will not be able to look away. Tyson has developed a writing style that allows the reader to fully experience the range of emotions captured on paper. His pain, struggle, and fight will become yours. He pulls you close with his poetry, and then once he has your ears, heart, and soul open, he speaks to your conscience and mind in a clear voice with in-depth analysis of the plight and need for black people to fight for their liberation. This body of work is timely and much needed. Tyson uses the hip hop medium in its most raw and revolutionary form to impart a message of struggle and freedom to all who are willing to listen. We find ourselves in the shadow of the black liberation movements of the 60s and 70s, in what many are now calling the era of Black Lives Matter where black people and other oppressed groups are still fighting for their basic rights to life, liberty, and happiness. The same unresolved issues of the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries have once again taken center stage for the world to see. Black Boy Poems reflects that understand that you cannot keep a people oppressed indefinitely; they will eventually stand up and demand what's theirs. As Tyson says in his poem The Dirge, "...The government doesn't care about an entire generation. We are the only ones who care about an entire generation. Therefore, we are the only ones who can save an entire generation." Black Boy Poems reiterates the demand for black people and all oppressed peoples to manifest their freedom and liberation by any means necessary. You will be challenged by this work. That is what the author intends. The hope is that you will respond to that challenge and begin working to make freedom a reality for all. This is a must read for anyone who has read The Autobiography of Malcolm X, Revolutionary Suicide by Huey P. Newton, A Taste of Power by Elaine Brown, Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates, and Black Boy by Richard Wright. You'll hear shades of Langston Hughes, Marcus Garvey, James Baldwin, The Last Poets, and Gill Scott Heron.
About the Author: Tyson Amir is a freedom fighter, educator, author, activist, emcee, and poet in possession of a powerful pen that allows him to speak directly to the heart and soul of his generation. Born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area in a time when America essentially escalated its war on the black community has dramatically shaped his politic and outlook. He's the child of revolutionaries, and in his three decades he has witnessed the birth of hip hop, the U.S. sponsored crack epidemic, the war on drugs, his home state of California becoming a murder capital, the school to prison pipeline, and the emergence of the prison industrial complex. During a more than ten year span encompassing his elementary through high school years, California averaged more than 3,400 murders a year. These political, historical, social, and economic forces permeate his writing along with the spirit of rebellion that's been passed down the branches of his family tree. This spirit is ever present in his catalogue of music, his collection of poetry, and now in his debut offering as a writer, Black Boy Poems. In his most recent work, Tyson skillfully weaves his knowledge, experience, artistic genius, politics, and philosophy to form what can be considered one of the most revolutionary works of literature since the Autobiography of Malcolm X. At times his analysis will bring you face to face with his scholarly side represented by a masters degree in education, a double major/triple minor, and an in-depth study of black revolutionary literature. His poetry and lyrical dexterity clearly displays a mastery of the hip hop art form. The power in his metaphors and vernacular demonstrates the learned experiences of attempting to survive America in black skin. In many ways he's a reporter firmly embedded in the cross sections of every major American problem stemming from the abuses of capitalism, racism, and hatred. Tyson has taught in California jails and prisons for over 13 years. He's said about his experience as an educator behind bars that, "every day is a matter of life and death." Like his teaching, his writing is a weapon which he uses to strike at the heart of the system. The goal is always to win, and that victory means the liberation of his people. A world traveler but eternally a California boy, Tyson Amir lives in Oakland, CA. where he writes, raps, teaches, organizes, and struggles for his people. You can learn more about his work at TysonAmir.com and BlackBoyPoems.com.