Everything Worth Fighting For: an exploration of being Black in America

Dasan Ahanu is a southern storyteller who uses his poetry as a tool for conveying messages and for giving voice to the lived experiences of those who find themselves at the center and in the margins. Everything Worth Fighting For: An exploration of being Black in America takes the reader on a journey of discovery into the many layers of Black life. From coming to understand the value in elder wisdom to struggling with the dangers facing Black youth, the book paints a picture of a multi- faceted existence. It is a resistance to narrowing perceptions and a call for society to never forget that there is so much more to any Black person than meets the eye. Ahanu writes in the introduction, “There is magic in our own experiences. Lessons learned and insight gained. It is our responsibility to share that with others. We have to tell what we know. We have to act like we know. It may mean standing alone. It may mean facing the unsettling of every bit of comfort we have established. We have to understand that sometimes interruption can be glorious freedom. Think about all that we have faced and still face in this country. We continue to push on fully aware that regardless of the achievements, the strides, and the resilience there are still those who will never see the amazing for what it is. Yet here we are. Here we will be. Still magic.” Everything Worth Fighting For: An exploration of being Black in America also looks at the role of the artist as an activist and at the creation of art as a radical means of expression. Ahanu shares his experiences and offers his perspective on arts activism as a way to frame this new work. This book not only intendeds to engage, it is also intended to inspire, affirm, challenge, and push people’s thinking. It is recognition of the beauty of being Black, of the struggles of being Black, and a scathing rebuttal to those who see Black life as anything less than amazing.