Dandelion Black

Dandelion Black is the debut poetry collection from Tamarra Starr Seward, a four-time Grand Slam Champion and National Poetry Slam Champion. In this powerful and intimate collection, Starr writes a love letter to her daughter—and every Black girl navigating the complexities of the world. With the sharp insight and tenderness only a mother can offer, she blends the beauty and irony of the natural world with the raw, layered truths of being and raising a Black woman in America. Through evocative metaphors and piercing observations, Starr captures the joy, sorrow, contradictions, and resilience of Black womanhood, exploring how to make sense of a world that often defies logic. Dandelion Black is a celebration of strength, survival, and the sacred bond between mother and daughter. It is a poetic reckoning with the beauty of blooming in spite of the odds, rooted deeply in love and unapologetic Blackness. This collection speaks directly to those who have fought for their space in a world that often wants to shrink them, offering solace, understanding, and an invitation to embrace the full spectrum of their humanity. Dandelion Black is both a personal meditation and a universal anthem for Black women everywhere.