In the Dog Days of 2014, 18-year-old Michael Brown — an unarmed Black man — was shot to death by a police officer in Ferguson, Missouri. Following an investigation, the Justice Department issued a report that detailed the bias and racism in policies and practices of the Ferguson Police Department and the local courts.

The Dog Days of 2026 approach. Time to get ready for the annual Sealey Challenge to read 31 books of poetry in 31 days. Or read as many or as few as you choose.

If you read even one book of poetry during the month of August, consider making it Nicole Sealey’s book length erasure of that Justice Department report: The Ferguson Report: An Erasure.

Or start here, with one of the 100 Sealey Challenge Recommendations.

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More about The Sealey Challenge, selected from the website FAQ:

The Sealey Challenge is a community activity in which participants read a book of poetry each day during the month of August.

While the challenge is to read a book every day in August, the real heart of the Sealey Challenge is about spending more time with poetry. There’s no wrong way to #SealeyChallenge.

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