Author Outreach

HIP HOP ARTIST JAMAAL “BLACK ROOT” COLLIER LAUNCHES GROUNDBREAKING BOOK WITH IRONWEED PUB

Written by

ironweedpub

in

[BALTIMORE, MD] – Ironweed Pub, the radical new imprint of The Chicory Project, announces the release of Bearded Thoughts: Affirmations, Mantras & Stray Hairs of Wisdom by acclaimed artist-educator Jamaal “Black Root” Collier. This genre-defying work transforms beard grooming into sacred ritual – offering 51 tools to reclaim ancestral power and emotional freedom.

THE BOOK REVOLUTIONIZING SELF-CARE

In Bearded Thoughts, Collier – a 20-year veteran of Hip Hop education – bridges street poetry and ancestral spirituality. The book’s innovative structure includes:

  • Affirmations as Battle Cries: “I am Black. I’m what’s happening” (#7)

  • Stray Hairs of Wisdom: “Stop fanning flames if you don’t want smoke” (#16)

  • Interactive Healing: Blank reflection pages inviting reader voices

  • Adinkra Blueprints: West African symbols as the visual roadmap for each chapter

Foreword author B. Sharise Moore declares:

“Collier’s words are simultaneously tough and tender things for us to hold. This book is a majestic mirror where we see beauty no matter how dark the day.”

WHY THIS MOMENT DEMANDS “BEARDED THOUGHTS”

Amid national crises around Black mental health, Collier delivers urgent tools:

  • Demolishes “strong Black man” stereotypes with Affirmation #15: “I am strong AND aware at the same damn time”

  • Provides therapeutic frameworks through medical-spiritual mantras (#16)

  • Builds “tribal wealth” (Mantra #2) as antidote to systemic isolation

THE ARTIST BEHIND THE AFFIRMATIONS

Jamaal “Black Root” Collier isn’t just an author. His two-decade plus career has ignited minds in schools, prisons, and festivals worldwide. On the book’s radical approach:

“My beard has been with me during the best and most challenging moments of my life. These thoughts are how I shape my purpose – and how you can shape yours.”

AVAILABILITY & ENGAGEMENT

ABOUT IRONWEED PUB

Ironweed Pub publishes stories that thrive where others won’t take root – works by marginalized voices mending cultural ecosystems. As an imprint of The Chicory Project, we honor the legacy of Chicory magazine (1966-1983), which amplified Baltimore’s Black voices when mainstream media silenced them.

Contact:
Devlon Waddell, Executive Director of The Chicory Project | Ironweed Pub
team@chicoryproject.org | ironweedpub@thechicoryproject.org

More posts