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Knucklehead

25 February, 2025

Cover for KNUCKLEHEAD. A Black boy with short hair sits in a metal folding chair with his back to the viewer. He has a backpack on the ground beside him, and the bottom of the cover is washed in blue. The cover looks like it is ripped so that it cuts off the top of his head. The rip reveals a white page with multicolored scribbles all over it, including black scribbles where the top of the boy's head should be. The handwritten title is centered above him, with the first e inserted, as if to correct the spelling.Knucklehead by Tony Keith Jr.
Quill Tree Books

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 by spoken word poet and hip-hop educator Tony Keith Jr. subverts that narrow way of thinking and empathizes with young people who are misunderstood and unheard.
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, full of black-and-white illustrations and unforgettable poetry that will heal, provoke, and inspire.

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