The Undefeated

Kwame Alexander’s multiple award-winning The Undefeated is an inspirational, poignant poem about black American pioneers and trailblazers, the forsaken and the forgotten, trial and tribulations, courage and hope. Complemented by Kadir Nelson’s stunning portraiture paintings, this powerful picture book pays tribute to black American luminaries such as Olympian Jesse Owens, poet Langston Hughes, activist Martin Luther King Jr. and singer Ella Fitzgerald, whilst remembering the victims of slavery and police brutality. Detailed backmatter provide valuable historical context. For readers interested in poetry, black American history and activism, in particular the Black Lives Matter movement, The Undefeated is a perfect introduction.