The Academy of American Poets recently put together a reading list for Black History Month, after asking a group of contemporary black poets to share poems they think are essential reading for the month. Lucille Clifton's "won't you celebrate with me," from The Collected Poems of Lucille Clifton 1965-2010 made the list of 12 poems, and is in truly incredible company. We love the list so much, we want to share the picks with you. Visit Poets.org to read more about them.

“We Real Cool” by Gwendolyn Brooks
“won’t you celebrate with me” by Lucille Clifton
“Heartbeats” by Melvin Dixon
“American History” by Michael S. Harper
“Hurricane” by Yona Harvey
“Middle Passage” by Robert Hayden
“We Should Make a Documentary About Spades” by Terrance Hayes
“Let America Be America Again” by Langston Hughes
“A Brief History of Hostility” by Jamaal May
“Coherence in Consequence” by Claudia Rankine
“For My People” by Margaret Walker
“On Being Brought from Africa to America” by Phillis Wheatley