Red Summer: Text and Meaning in Claude McKay’s poem 'If We Must Die' (Part 1)

(Official Postered Chromatic Poetics for Aberjhani’s Bright Skylark Literary Productions ©2021) This essay was first published in 2015 to commemorate the 95th anniversary of McKay’s literary milestone and in remembrance of the extraordinary Red Summer of 1919. It is now part of an ongoing series of re-posts intended  to encourage reflections on Americans’ collective pursuit of racial equality and inspire actions most likely to help achieve it with dignity and intelligence.

As it stands at ...