This has been an interesting year; I’ve gone from serious lows and depths unimaginable to hope and faith in ways I had never experienced. Before last year closed, I was super confident that 2025 was going to be the year when things finally came together for me; when my dreams will be brave enough to walk out of my sleep. But God had other plans. The universe was playing out its own script despite my earnest desires and this script dealt me a role that laid me flat on the ground. But while I groveled, something even more life changing happened; I remembered.
This is not going to be a long post, I’ll leave all the story-telling for another time, what this is, is an exciting stanza in the poem that my life is. After several years of writing delicious poetry, plays, short stories and articles, I am finally publishing my first book. This book has been in the works since 2008, I buried it. Every few years I dug it out, polished it and sent it back to the grave. Finally, I’m publishing it. The first of many to come. Ladies and Gentlemen, with a round of applause, welcome (*drumroll)…Perspectives of a Black Boy.
Perspectives of a Black Boy is a collection of poems and reflections that explores the journey of a young Black boy as he learns, remembers, questions, and rises. It’s a book about identity and memory, about being shaped by history and still trying to shape a future.
The poems touch on many things; colonialism, migration, family, love, faith, self-worth, and the quiet battles many people face but rarely speak about. Some pieces reflect on what it means to grow up Black, to carry the weight of expectation or invisibility. Others wrestle with longing, with leaving home and returning, with honoring ancestors, or learning how to be soft in a world that demands hardness.
Each poem is followed by a short reflection or story that gives the theme more depth. These commentaries make the book feel personal, almost like you’re sitting with someone who’s been through it and is telling you what it all meant.
Whether you’re looking for something that affirms your experience, makes you think more deeply about someone else’s, or simply reminds you that you’re not alone, this book offers something worth holding onto.
Perspectives of a Black Boy officially comes out on August 21, 2025, available on many of the major distribution platforms. It will be available in Ebook and Paperback. For now, it is available to pre-order. Pre-order from my website www.josephdankwah.com or visit www.books2read.com/perspectivesofablackboy. You should also read excerpts of the book on my blog on the website https://josephdankwah.com/my-blog/ Join my mailing list. Send me a message. Talk to me. If you’ve been on this journey before, share some experiences with me, and tag everybody you know.
I am super grateful to all the people who helped this book come alive this year..from website and cover design, to editing, reviews and encouragement. I’ll mention the names as this story unfolds. See you all on August 21! Or maybe before then…Pre-order!.