Knucklehead: Poems

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AVAILABLE FEBRUARY 25, 2025

By: Tony Keith Jr.

In Knucklehead, author, spoken word artist, and hip-hop educator Tony Keith Jr. pens a love letter to Black boys and men he affectionately calls “knuckleheads” in a collection of poems that affirms the many forms of Black masculinity. 

dear Knucklehead,

perhaps you are like me:

always figuring out if your soul and your skin

are thick enough to protect your body from sticky stones

thrown from the mouths of those who know

that spoken words have the power to spit out freedom

and break-in bones. 

While society often assigns the label “knucklehead” to kids with attitude problems, this brilliant and electric poetry collection subverts that narrow way of thinking and empathizes with young people who are misunderstood, unheard, or ignored.

There are poems about the power of language to transcend the racist and homophobic constructs of a society prejudging Black boys. There are poems that serve as a salve for a world that inflicts hurt, poems that offer a beacon of hope for the curious and questioning, and poems that transform the way people love Black gay boys and men.

This is a journey of self-discovery through history, family, friendship, and falling in love. Knucklehead is a breathtaking work of art that will heal, provoke, and inspire.