Title: Stand Our Ground:Poems for Trayvon Martin and Marissa Alexander

Publisher: FreedomSeed Press (Philadelphia, PA)

Paperback, 272 pages

Publication Date: April 22, 2013

$25.00

All proceeds will be shared with the families of Martin and Alexander to aid in their respective pursuits of justice.

Stand with us! Purchase your copy today!

Stand Our Ground is available online exclusively at StandOurGroundBook.com.

Contact: Ewuare X. Osayande

StandOurGroundBook@gmail.com

In Stand Our Ground: Poems for Trayvon Martin and Marissa Alexander 65 poets from all over the world join together in one voice for justice, freedom and peace. Stand Our Ground is the definitive testament of a revolutionary generation. In this historic collection Black Arts Movement legends Amiri Baraka, Sonia Sanchez, Haki R. Madhubuti and Askia M. Toure’ are joined by poets of all ages from across the United States and around the world representing countries in Africa, Asia, Europe as well as North and South America and the islands of the Caribbean.

The cases of Trayvon Martin and Marissa Alexander expose the duplicity of an American justice system that remains rooted in racism and sexism. Stand Our Ground is an effort to raise funds for both families to aid in their pursuit of justice even as it raises the consciousness of a generation toward the pursuit of a movement of justice for all!

The book’s editor, Ewuare X. Osayande, is a poet, educator and activist. The author of several books including Blood Luxury with an introduction by Amiri Baraka (Africa World Press) and Whose America?: New and Selected Poems with an introduction by Haki R. Madhubuti (Black Proletariat Press). He is an adjunct professor of African American Studies at Rutgers University.

In the introduction for Stand Our Ground Osayande writes, “This book has been a labor of love. My love for my people. My love for humanity. I acted because I knew it was not enough for me to just march, or write an editorial or to just allow myself to sit and simmer in the face of wrong. I acted because I knew that there were others like me. I knew that if I acted, others would join with me, and, together, we could create a work that would simultaneously raise collective support for these two families and raise the collective consciousness of our generation. So in the Summer of 2012 the call went out and this is the result. A collection of poems. But not just any collection of poems. Herein are contained –

Death-defying poems

Injustice-decrying poems

Poems that speak truth to power

Poems that break chains in freedom’s name

Poems that confront abuse

and provide sanctuary for the bruised

Poems that escape from cells

Poems that provide a pathway back from hell

Poems that refuse to be silent

Poems more just than the judge’s gavel

Poems that have tasted cop’s mace

stared down the barrel of a gun in defiance

Shackled poems trying to break free

Poems picking the locks on our minds

Poems that transcend place and time

that tell the histories and herstories

that have been banned from the textbooks

Poems that refuse to look the other way

Poems that say what needs to be said

Poems that resurrect the dead

Poems that refuse to sell their souls

Poems that revolt and rebel

that holler, scream and yell

Poems that leave us speechless

that tell us truths we don’t want to hear

Poems that leave the status quo

quivering in fear

Poems that know that justice is like rain

to the seeds of peace

Poems that move us to act

like you know

Marching poems

Chanting poems

Ranting poems

Poems sick and tired of being sick and tired poems

Poems that inoculate us against ignorance

Poems that make us think

Poems on the brink

Poems that challenge us to see

the world as it could be

as it should be

Poems in love with freedom

Poems that resist

that resist

that resist

that resist racism and sexism

that refuse to be conned

Poems for a mother named Marissa

and a young brother named Trayvon.”

FreedomSeed Press is proud to announce the inclusion of Dr. Haki R. Madhubuti - one of the most prominent and relevant contemporary African American poets - in the forthcoming global anthology Stand Our Ground: Poems for Trayvon Martin and Marissa Alexander.

Black Arts Movement pioneer, Madhubuti is founder of Third World Press, a publishing company that holds the distinction of being the oldest and largest Black publisher in the United States. He is the author of more than thirty books of poetry and essays that cover a span of forty-five years. In 1967, Madhubuti's first book of poems, Think Black, was published by the legendary Broadside Press. Since then, he has published a canon of work that encompasses the broad range of issues and concerns germane to the cultural and political advancement of the Black community in the United States. Among them are the classic works Black Men: Obsolete, Single, Dangerous? and Groundwork: New and Selected Poems, 1966-1996. His latest books include YellowBlack: The First Twenty-One Years of a Poet's Life and Run Toward Fear.

"To have Dr. Madhubuti's poetry in this anthology is an affirmation of the book and its mission. Brother Madhubuti has lived his life on the front-line of our community's struggle for justice and liberation as an educator, institution-builder and activist," says Ewuare Osayande, editor of Stand Our Ground. "It is an honor to include him and his work."

Stand Our Ground: Poems for Trayvon Martin and Marissa Alexander is a global collection of poetry that brings together the voices of poets from all over the world including the United States, South Africa, the Maldives, England, Palestine, Kenya, Finland, Canada and Nigeria.

Stand Our Ground: Poems for Trayvon Martin and Marissa Alexander is more than just an anthology of poetry. It is a call for justice! Once published, all the proceeds from the sale of the book will be donated to the justice campaigns for Trayvon Martin and Marissa Alexander. For more information on the book and campaign visit the book's website at: StandOurGroundBook.com.

Amiri Baraka, Sonia Sanchez, Askia Toure and Everett Hoagland, some of the leading voices of the Black Arts Movement of the Sixties, will be featured in Stand Our Ground: Poems for Trayvon Martin and Marissa Alexander. The ultimate purpose of the book is to raise funds the justice campaigns of both cases and to raise awareness about the persistence of racial injustice.

“We are honored and excited to have these legendary world-renowned poets involved in this important project, says Ewuare X. Osayande, creator and editor of the book. “These poets have spent their entire careers as writers doing exactly what we are attempting to do with this book – speak truth to power and to empower the people. Their involvement is an affirmation of the mission and aim of Stand Our Ground: Poems for Trayvon Martin and Marissa Alexander.”

Amiri Baraka is widely recognized as the principal architect of the Black Arts Movement. A leading voice of the Black Power movement both as artist and activist, Baraka has published over forty books of poems, essays, drama and criticism. He is the former Poet Laureate of New Jersey and author of Somebody Blew Up America and Other Poems.

Sonia Sanchez, is the first Poet Laureate of the City of Philadelphia, PA. The principal organizer of the first Black Studies program at a university in the United States, she is the recipient of numerous awards including the American Book Award in 1986 for Homegirls and Handgrenades and the Peace and Freedom Award from the Women International League for Peace and Freedom. Her influence on the hip hop and spoken word is evident in her work being featured in the film Love Jones. Her latest book of poems is entitled Morning Haiku.

Askia M. Toure' is a co-founder of the Black Arts Movement, and fellow pioneer of the first Black Studies program at San Francisco State. His books include From the Pyramids to the Projects, winner of the 1989 American Book Award, and Dawn-Song! (the first Nile Valley Epic written in the English language), winner of the 2003 Stephen Henderson Poetry Award.

Everett Hoagland is one of the original Broadside Press poets. Widely anthologized, he is the former Poet Laureate of New Bedford, MA. In 1984 he received the National Endowment for the Humanities. His latest book of poems is entitled Here … New and Selected Poems.

Stand Our Ground: Poems for Trayvon Martin and Marissa Alexander will be anthology of social justice poetry collected from around the world. Trayvon Martin is the 17 year-old African American that was shot and killed by George Zimmerman earlier this year in Florida. It would take a national outcry before Zimmerman would be arrested after claiming the controversial “Stand Your Ground” gun law. Zimmerman is currently awaiting trial. Marissa Alexander is a mother and domestic abuse survivor currently serving a 20 year sentence for defending herself. Although she did not kill or harm anyone, she was denied the “Stand Your Ground” defense and has to wait ten years before she can petition the governor for clemency.

Poets from all over the world are encouraged to submit their work for consideration in the book by the 15th of December. More info on poetry submissions can be obtained here. The book will also feature a resource listing of national organizations addressing issues related to the cases. More info for organizations can be obtained here. The book’s publication is being funding entirely by donations. All those interested in learning how they can contribute and support are encouraged to visit the book’s website at http://standourgroundbook.com/.

In a hand-written letter dated June 21, 2012 Marissa Alexander, African American mother unjustly serving a 20 year sentence for defending herself in Florida, extends her support and appreciation to Ewuare X. Osayande, creator and editor of Stand Our Ground: Poems for Trayvon Martin and Marissa Alexander, a project that seeks to raise $50,000 for both cases.

“I am so blessed to have your support. I think that what you are doing for Trayvon and I is absolutely phenomenal! Thank you so very much for your support. These words will never be able to explain how appreciative I am. I think about my history and ancestors, if you don’t stand for something, you will fall for anything. I cannot stop believing in my cause, my rights that many have died for. Please continue the awesome work that you do. I support your efforts. … It will be successful!”

Marissa Alexander is a mother and abuse survivor currently serving a 20 year sentence inFloridafor defending herself although she did not kill or harm anyone. This is the same state that let George Zimmerman walk after he confessed to killing Trayvon Martin earlier this year.

More info for poets interested in contributing to the book is available here. More information for organizations interested in being listed in the book is available here. More information for persons seeking to donate to the project is available here.

For more information about Marissa Alexander’s case and campaign, click here.

For more information about Trayvon Martin’s campaign, click here.

Justice for Trayvon Martin and Freedom for Marissa Alexander!

The Mission:

1. Raise Funds

•  All the proceeds from the sale of the book will go to both families to aid in their respective pursuits for justice.

2. Raise Awareness

Trayvon Martin is the unarmed 17 year-old African American young man who was shot and killed by George Zimmerman in February this year while walking home from a neighborhood convenient store. It took a national outcry before Zimmerman was arrested a month later. He is currently awaiting trial. For more information on the case, click here.

Marissa Alexander is an African American mother currently serving a 20 year sentence for defending herself against her then husband Rico Gray in 2010. She was denied the controversial "Stand Your Ground" defense although she didn't kill anyone and had a license to carry the gun she used to fire a warning shot against Gray who had earlier attempted to strangle her. For more information on the case, click here.

Both of these Florida cases expose the duplicity and ingrained racial/gender bias of a criminal justice system that continues to deny African Americans equal justice before the law.

With the publication of this book, we seek to rouse the conscience of this nation and rally consistent attention on these cases and cases like them across the country. We believe as the great activist Ella Baker once said, "We who believe in freedom cannot rest until it comes."