American Voices: Listening to Fiction, Poetry, and Prose

Technology Integration/Media clips: According to ABCnews7Chicago.com

The first news clip produced by ABCnews7Chicago.com is titled "Stop the Violence: Lessons & Alternatives" with Cheryl Burton and ron Magers moderating. Magers and Burton lead a panel discussion about solutions to stem the growing tide of violence against the children of Chicago in the half-hour special segment.

During this segment, Magers and Burton initiated a dialogue with community leaders and social activist focusing on education as a key component to helping curtail violence, the impact of active parents on students' education and the key roles community members can play in creating compelling alternatives to gang activity. ¹⁰ Reporter Leah Hope

The second news clip produced by ABCnews7Chicago.com is titled Officials, Students in Anti-Violence Rally." April 1, 2008, Hundreds of Chicago public school students, elected officials and community leaders rallied in downtown Chicago Tuesday in hopes of stopping the violence. Frustrated with the number of students killed by gunfire, community leaders are calling for the passage of new gun legislation. Hundreds of students joined in the movement to reverse a deadly pattern of young people being shot and killed. To date, tweenty Chicago Public School students have been killed by gunfire this school year. Students from Simeon Career Academy, 8147 S. Vincennes, exited school early with the superintendent's approval. Students took part in an anti-violence rally at the Thompson Center. Empty desks and pairs of shoes symbolized the young men and women who lost their lives in this cycle of violence.¹¹

My students will view these new clips and discuss the media's point of view. The value in student protest and student participation in anti-violence rallies across the city of Chicago and it's impact on social change. The empty desk and shoes served as symbols of those students remaining voiceless as a result of the increasing violence.

Setting Mood and Tone: Hurricane Katrina

Teaching students how their words and actions can transforms and enhances the quality of society. "Education either functions as an instrument which is used to facilitate integration of the younger generation into the logic of the present system and bring about conformity or it becomes the practice of freedom, the means by which men and women deal critically and creatively with reality and discover how to participate in the transformation of their world"¹²

Paulo Freire: educational theorist.

¹³

The tone of the picture with Director Spike Lee may suggest that New Orleans citizens will not lie on their backs and allow this devastation to destroy their spirits. They will overcome this crisis. Those that lost material possessions will not loose their determination and hope for rebuilding their lives and New Orleans. A resident scrawled the word BAGHDAD on the side of this home, how does that help us determine the tone or mood of this photo?

"It was a very painful experience

to see my fellow American citizens,

the majority of them African Americans,

in the dire situation they were in.

And I was outraged with

The slow response of the

Federal Government."¹⁴ Spike Lee

"When Hurricane Katrina went through New Orleans or around it, I was in Venice Italy at a film festival. It was a very painful experience to see my fellow America citizens, the majority of them African-Americans, in the dire situation they were in. And I was outraged with the slow response of the federal government. And every time I'm in Europe, any time something happens in the world involving African Americans, journalist jump on me, like I'm the spokesperson for 45 million African-Americans, which I'm not. Many Europeans expressed their outrage too and one interesting thing is that these European journalists were saying the images they were seeing looked like they were from a third world country, not the almighty United States of America."¹⁵

Spike Lee

Tone deals with the emotional quality of words that an individual chooses and it also illustrates attitude and point of view towards a subject. Students will examine how specific words and details are used to evoke emotions. In this section we will look at how celebrities can affect or impact an emotional response from the public through the mood and tone of their voice. As we read their words in class we will examine the words they have chosen and how the words are arranged in order to gain emotional appeal. Spike claims that he is expected to be the voice for 45 million African American.

Hurricane Katrina was the most costly hurricane in American history. 80% of New Orleans was flooded, with some parts under 15 ft of water. The most severe loss of life and property damage occurred in New Orleans, Louisiana, which flooded as the levee system catastrophically failed, hours after the storm moved inland "The majority of the city's levees designed and built by the United States Army Corps of Engineers were damaged. According to a report by the American Society of Civil Engineers, these breeches were responsible for most of the flooding. Many residents that remained in their homes had to swim for their lives, wade through deep water or remained trapped in their attics or rooftops. Many of the remaining residents were evacuated to the Louisiana Superdome or Convention Center where they hoped to find food, water, shelter and transport out of New Orleans."¹⁶ As conditions worsened and flood waters continued to rise the conditions in these temporary shelters became unsafe and unsanitary. There was widespread public concern and criticism of the federal, state and local government including President Bush's delayed response, which resulted in an investigation by the US congress.

Spike Lee, a well-respected creator of films about social and moral issues, decided to create a documentary three months immediately following Hurricane Katrina. Students will watch this documentary to hear the outcry of voices from New Orleans residents. Paulo Freire, the Brazilian educationalist has left a significant mark on thinking about progressive practice. His "Pedagogy of the Oppressed" is currently one of the most quoted educational texts (especially in Latin America, Africa and Asia). His emphasis on the impact of dialogue in deepening understanding through respectful conversations is how I see my students being able to enhance their voice. He goes on to state that "the purpose of dialogue is to promote action that is informed and linked to certain values". This idea of building pedagogy of the oppressed' or pedagogy of hope through consciousness has the power to transform reality' (Taylor 1993:52).

"We shall Overcome, We shall Overcome, We shall overcome-someday, Deep in my heart, I do believe, that we shall overcome someday"......¹⁷

This Old Negro Spiritual was adopted as the anthem song of student protest during the civil rights movement. Created by an African American minister Charles Tindley, the first version was titled "I Shall Overcome"; which was then transformed by Pete Seefer and other civil Rights Era singers to "We Shall Overcome". This spiritual although made prominent throughout the Civil Rights Era may also describe the oppressed sentiments of American residents along the gulf coast affected by Hurricane Katrina.