give us a poem

i posted this piece in the marfa public library newsletter, and i keep thinking about it. first read about it in kimberly drew’s new book, this is what i know about art. from the studio museum:

Initially created as a site-specific installation for The Studio Museum in Harlem’s lobby, Give Us a Poem demonstrates Glenn Ligon’s ability to infuse language with alternate meaning by translating it in bright neon. Ligon sourced the text from a speech Muhammad Ali made at Harvard University in 1975. When asked by a student to give the audience a poem, Ali replied “me, we,” in a simple but profound pairing that connects individual and collective experience.