Shackled Freedom: Black Living in the Modern American South is the new poetry collection by award-winning artist Dasan Ahanu. It contains poems that are inspired by, speak to, and detail the Black southern experience. Shackled Freedom is the second installment of a series dedicated to Black life. The collection attempts to push back at rigid narratives about Black living below the Mason Dixon Line. Too often we are presented with narratives and perspectives that narrow our collective understanding. In doing so, they reduce Black existence. This makes it easier for negative rhetoric and propaganda to become rooted in our societal consciousness. Dasan writes to resist this narrowing, presenting Black life as layered, nuanced, and dynamic. Through the images and stories shared in the poems, Dasan strikes a careful balance between celebrating the breadth of Black southernness and showing how Black lives are impacted by the struggles they have constantly faced. He also highlights the strength and resilience necessary to still succeed, to overcome, to find and claim joy. The new book is available with online retailers and through Ingram Book Company. You can purchase an autographed copy from www.dasanahanustore.com.