Return of the Kings
by Laini Mataka

Return of the Kings continues Mataka’s unapologetic elevation of Black people’s lives and struggles, using her powerful command of language and keen cultural observations as weapons. The poems in this collection acknowledge the challenges Black people face while also offering hope for a brighter future.

The title poem, "Return of Kings," declares the reemergence of the Black man as the only music worth listening to and the only reason to dance. Similarly, the opening poem, "She Who Would Be King," is an homage to the film Woman King and Viola Davis. Mataka writes, "She who would be king, blew up bridges between us and gave us the blueprint for a sacred space where Afrikan women could love their reflections without trying to reroute nature."

Mataka’s mission in writing is to give a voice to the souls of Black people and celebrate them. She is a devout transcriber for spirits known and unknown, a recorder of freedom cries and freedom denied, Black history’s mouthpiece, and rebellion’s archivist.

Acclaimed poet and publisher Haki Madhubti described Mataka’s previous work as a complete repertory of one woman’s travels through Black America. Return of the Kings marks the next leg of her journey.

Laini Mataka is a Washington, DC-based writer, teacher, and community leader. She has received many awards for her service, including induction into the University of Chicago’s International Library Hall of Fame for Writers of Afrikan Descent.