New York Times best-selling author Kwame Alexander is on a mission to change the world one word at a time. Alexander, who is also an award-winning poet, Emmy-winning television producer and educator, visited Detroit recently to discuss his book, ”This is the Honey: An Anthology of Contemporary Black Poets,” and read excerpts from his many writings as part of The Wright Conversations series at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American history.  

Alexander is a recipient of the 2025 NAACP Image Award, the founder of AuthorStudy.com and the Michael I. Rudell Artistic Director of Literary Arts for Chautauqua Literary Arts.

While in Detroit, Alexander sat down with “American Black Journal” host Stephen Henderson for a wide-ranging discussion about his literary works, career and passion for reading and writing. He talked about how he got started writing books and poetry and explains the inspiration behind his more than 44 best-selling books, many of which are geared toward children and teens.

Alexander also discussed his newest book, “How Sweet the Sound,” and its focus on the history of Black music in America. The book has more than 80 references to artists including Miles Davis, James Brown, Grandmaster Flash, Jimi Hendrix, Whitney Houston, Lauryn Hill, Kendrick Lamar, Beyonce and others.

Plus, he talks about his new animated series, “Acoustic Rooster: Jazzy Jams,” a PBS KIDS special and series of shorts based on his beloved children’s book, “Acoustic Rooster and his Barnyard Band.”