Social & Emotional Components
In an interview with Alternative Radio, June Jordan, prolific African American poet, said,
“the task of a poet of color, a black poet, as a people hated…is to rally the spirit of your folks… to figure out …a perspective… that other folks can use to pick themselves up, to rally and…to jump higher, to reach more extensively in solidarity with even more varieties of people to accomplish something. I feel that it's a spirit task.”1
Ultimately, that is the goal of this unit – for my students to experience solidarity, to understand and resist racist narratives that are embedded in the fabric of our country, and to look to creative outlets for healing and growth. I want students to think critically about how those racist narratives have been created, supported, and perpetuated throughout our history and how artists and writers have used their art forms to respond, retaliate, and re-envision. This work is an essential part of anti-racist activism. I want my students to know their voices and opinions matter - that they can use creative outlets to amplify their voices, to honor and work through frustration or despair, to reclaim their power, and to rejoice. My hope is that a major takeaway from this unit of study is that young people of color can be and are agents of change both locally and globally. I want my students to recognize the potential of their stories and experiences in transforming the world as we know it into a place we hope it could be but is not yet real.
Using ekphrasis, students will explore the relationship between art forms. Poetry and art will allow students to delve into what they have to say about inflammatory and inspiring images, complex topics, and American society at large. A combination of text and image will bring these explorations to life.
I recommend teaching this unit to students with whom you already have relationships, or saving this unit until you know your students well and have built a solid foundation of trust and mutual respect.
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