Still I Rise

These young voices pierce through paper and space to give you a glimpse of the world through their tender gazes. Make no mistake, their eyes have observed some realities that already read harshly as they petition and cry for revolution. Their identities jump off the page and seize your silence vividly. This melding of languages on page and artwork tell of a different American experience that isn't narrow or washed in an ivory rinse. Their voices are as familiar to my America as fists are to protest. They pack a convicting punch. -Andrea "Vocab" Sanderson, Poet Laureate San Antonio, TX 2020-2023 and author of She Lives in Music (FlowerSong Press, 2020) In Still I Rise: The Rio Grande Valley Youth Anthology 2020, here are the "hopeful... observant, unflinching eyes" of youth in the Rio Grande Valley, the direct gazes of our youth who demand their crystal-clear voices-and their searing truths-be shared with the world. In a chorus of Spanish and English poems, and vibrant display of visual art full of hope and whimsy, this anthology opens the reader to the minds and experiences of young artists and poets grappling with living as a brown child in America during this historic moment: the twisting purple of uncertainty and fear, the bright blaze of pride and dreams held close, the burn and bruise of traumas and continuing struggles with racism, sexism, discrimination, violence, and mental illness. Above all, this anthology documents the unstoppable belief-in spite of living in a country steeped in racism, misogyny and xenophobia, and its appearance in the daily lives of these young writers--in the necessity and value of their own beautiful voices, and a strong pride in Latinx heritage and culture. If we need hope to fight on for the generations behind us, read this anthology to be reminded that this generation is fierce and demands that we match our persistence with theirs. -Leslie Contreras Schwartz, Houston Poet Laureate and author of Black Dove/Paloma Negra (FlowerSong Press, 2020) Cover art by Celeste De Luna