Reckoning with the Past

Medgar Evers, civil rights organizer. Isaac Murphy, one of the greatest jockeys of all time. York, enslaved explorer on the Corps of Discovery expedition. These three pivotal figures are brought together in Frank X Walker's body of work. Known for coining the term Affrilachia and cofounding the Affrilachian Poets, acclaimed writer and activist Frank X Walker challenges dominant historical narratives and renders "the invisible visible" through his persona poetry. His extensive creative output is informed by his own experiences as well as figures important to US history. While these figures are eras apart, Walker finds the shared undercurrents of their lives, exploring themes of gender, family, and race in each collection. His poetry joins in a deep tradition of Black American literature that exhibits both a concern for historical truth-telling and a powerful empathy that looks to the future. Reckoning with the Past examines five of Walker's collections to highlight how his poems on York, Isaac Murphy, and Medgar Evers address and bridge the disconnect between America's past and present. Author Kristine Yohe pays deep attention to Walker's craft and emphasizes the pursuit of social justice and racial reconciliation underpinning his work. In this way, Reckoning with the Past not only contributes to the well-deserved recognition of Walker's poetry but also brings more awareness and respect to the lives of York, Murphy, Evers, and others whose voices are essential to the American story.