Say Her Name

Say Her Name
By Zetta Elliot
Brown Books, 2020. 96 pages. Poetry

In this collection of powerful poems, poet and educator Zetta Elliot raises her voice in honor of both victims of and activists against police brutality. Inspired by the #SayHerName campaign, Elliot relates her experiences and feelings as a black woman in this call for empathy, recognition, and action. Along with her own words, Elliot draws inspiration from and adds her voice in harmonic chorus with notable poets including Lucille Clifton, Audre Lorde, Nikki Giovanni, and Phillis Wheatley. 

It's difficult to think of how to talk about a book that made me feel so much. Even the description above seems too simple, too small, for a book that is so moving and so important. One of Elliot's many talents as a poet is the ability to make you feel, as a reader, that her words are not just ink on a page but an extension of her gaze, meeting your eyes, connecting your heart to hers. Just the memory of feeling that connection while I read this book brings tears to my eyes. The poems range from celebratory, to mournful, to angry, to hope, to empowering. SAY HER NAME is an invitation, a plea even, to listen to people of color, especially women of color. Wherever you stand on the issues of police brutality and racial bias in law enforcement, this book is a must-read. Open your heart to Elliot and you will not be disappointed. 

MW