Part I: Heritage -- Part II: Earth Mother -- Part III: Taking notice.

Preface ; The Harlem Renaissance ; Poetry form -- Part I: Heritage. Whatever / by Nikki Grimes [N.G.] -- Heritage / by Mae V. Cowdery -- Before / by N.G. -- I am not proud / by Helene Johnson -- Having my say / by N.G. -- I sit and sew / by Alice Dunbar-Nelson -- Room for dreams / by N.G. -- Joy / by Clarissa Scott Delany -- Leah's reunion / by N.G. -- Dusk / by Angelina Weld Grimké -- Vanish / by N.G. -- Jehovah's gesture / by Gertrude Parthenia McBrown -- Judgment / by N.G. -- Part II: Earth Mother. Earth, I thank you / by Anne Spencer -- Sweet sister / by N.G. -- Rondeau / by Jessie Redmon Fauset -- Tara takes on Montclair / by N.G. -- 1975 / by Anne Spencer -- Kneel / by N.G. -- Of Earth / by Mae V. Cowdery -- Seeing / by N.G. -- At the spring dawn / by Angela Weld Grimké -- Faithful / by N.G. -- Autumn evening / by Ida Rowland -- Strength training / by N.G. -- Part III: Taking Notice. Unseen / by Gertrude Parthenia McBrown -- Taking notice / by N.G. -- Flag salute / by Esther Popel -- A mother's lament / by N.G. -- The bronze legacy (to a brown boy) / by Effie Lee Newsome -- Like an eagle / by N.G. -- Your world / by Georgia Douglas Johnson -- Mother to daughter / by N.G. -- Four walls / by Blanche Taylor Dickinson -- What girls can do / by N.G. -- Prelude / by Lucy Ariel Williams -- Slow burn / by N.G. -- Advice / by Gwendolyn Bennett -- Brown poems / by N.G. -- Journey's end / by N.G. -- Resources. Poet biographies ; Artist biographies ; Acknowledgments ; Sources ; Index.