What would it look like if each African American man, woman, and child had a handbook? A guidebook that would give you insight into who they are, what they feel, their accumulated experiences. Such books could show the diversity of the African American experience and maybe help white Americans move beyond prejudices and stereotypes. These guidebooks might help white Americans empathize with their African American counterparts. As this is my guidebook, it is letterpress printed in colors inspired by sea glass and shells collected on the Rhode Island shorelines.

From the colophon—
Tia Blassingame wrote, edited, and generally tinkered with this set of poems over the course of two decades. With colors and patterns inspired by sea glass and shells collected on Martha’s Vineyard and the Rhode Island coastline; “Negroes: a handbook” was letterpress printed in Adobe Caslon Pro typeface on Rives paper in Providence, Rhode Island.