<blockquote> <p> We are color struck <br> The way an artist strikes<br> His canvas with his brush of many hues </p> <p> Look closely at these mirrors<br> these palettes of skin<br> Each color is rich<br> in its own right </p> </blockquote> <p> Black is dazzling and distinctive, like toasted wheat berry bread; snowberries in the fall; rich, red cranberries; and the bronzed last leaves of summer. In this lyrical and luminous collection, Coretta Scott King honorees Joyce Carol Thomas and Floyd Cooper celebrate these many shades of black beautifully. </p>