Manhood, brotherhood, and Black Lives Matter are all topics of interest to any young man. The motivational poetry and self-reflective journaling of Yo Bro: Strive Toward Excellence will help teenage boys determine how they want to show up in their community… and the world.

During these unfortunate times of racial turbulence and the unveiling of devastating societal inequities, such as economic, educational and health disparities, young people require social-emotional guidance to cognitively process what is unraveling around them in their community, country and world. More than ever, it is crucial that young adults of color are provided with the encouragement to understand their individual cultural being, and to facilitate their thinking processes about their stance on social justice issues like Black Lives and school violence. As an African American woman, mother of two successful adult sons, and college professor with 30+ years of experience as a literacy and cultural diversity educator, it is my responsibility to serve as a role model and mentor for young people.

Yo Bro: Strive Toward Excellence is written in a unique approach that fuses my three roles into a meaningful, entertaining, and educational experience for young men of color. Through my thought-provoking poetry, I aim to reinforce my teen readers’ self-confidence, explore their culture, and empower them to address the injustices that they are passionate as budding social activists. To enhance comprehension, I have incorporated literacy strategies, such as journaling after each poem and end-of-chapter graphic organizers to encourage readers to make intrinsic connections and examine their authentic ideas about real-life topics. Also, inspirational quotes of renown men of color are integrated to further emphasize these relevant concepts.

A parallel book, Sistah Girl: Step Into Your Greatness is available for girls.