Ntozake Shange's poem conjures up her childhood home and a time when prominent activists, intellectuals, politicians and musicians came to parties and gatherings at her parents' house. Iconic figures such as Paul Robeson and Duke Ellington were real people, she insists, potent role models - hence, 'ellington was not a street'. Stunning double-page paintings portray the small girl growing up in this inspiring company, witnessing history in the making.