This Ain’t No Mumbo Jumbo

Rewind. It’s 1992, and the kids are reciting their original poem in front of a corner store. A crowd gathers and bump their heads to the dialects that they project out their mouths. It’s now 2002, and Mos Def has introduced a poet on the premiere of Russell Simmons’s Def Jam Poetry Jam. We hear Common and Kanye–even new poets from Chicago and The Bay. Fast forward and imagine this: finding a diary entry that you wrote for your first born, hearing a public service announcement about another unarmed POC killed by police, and so on and so forth. Now think; what do all of these sayings have in common? Behind every poem, from every child on their street telling their poetic story or that old diary entry, is something with meaning. It’s not some gibberish or mumbo jumbo mess. Which brings us to this collection of poetry: “this ain’t no mumbo jumbo”, which states that what is said within this collection of poetry matters. The words stated flow with meaning, and various topics are discussed. Indulge in writing that touches on politics, love, and identity written in formats that we can familiarize ourselves with: a diary entry, public service announcement, spoken word, and much more. This collection is for everyone; no matter your race, religion, sexuality, and any other category you identify with, this book is meant for you.