Romaine Washington
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Social Justice: Poetry Analysis



Pain is important: how we evade it, how we succumb to it,
how we deal with it, how we transcend it.

- Audre Lorde


Text: This section has four poems, three from the book Sirens in Her Belly and the fourth, All-American Pastime, is provided. 
​
Synthesis: An additional reference (article, documentary, video) is provided to engage students with compare/contrast analysis.
Picture
Analysis: Historical references are provided for contextual understanding and critical thinking.


Empowerment Assignment: 

​
Political Commentary and Voice.
Students create their own artwork, poetry, song, either individually or as a group and use a current event article, podcast, and/or video to add depth.

The assignments that have activities are in red.

The Watts Riots: From the three sources discuss the emotional impact. 
1. Poem: August 1965 (p. 28)
Click on the button for the assignment. There are videos and articles to help with historic background information.
August 1965
Watts Riots
Watch the 2:30 video
for Burning
Watch the Documentary. 56 min.

2. Poem: All-American Pastime. (included)
Click on the button for the assignment, instructions, and the poem, All-American Past-Time.
All-American
a Racist Cop

3. Poem: We Need Video Cam Eyes (p. 29)
Click on the button for the assignment. There are videos and articles to help with historic background information.
Video cam
Police Videos
POLICE VIDEOS button: NPR has a hybrid of articles and
3 videos 43, 40 and 28 minutes respectively.
Trauma
A PBS article.

4. Poem: Strange Fruit: A Crucifixion (p.33)
Click on the button for the assignment. There are videos and articles to help with historic background information.
Strange Fruit
Growing Up
Watch the NYT 5 minute video.




And there is a paradox that many of you refuse to see:
to get to a point where race won’t make a difference,
we have to wrestle, first, with the difference that race makes.


― Michael Eric Dyson, Tears We Cannot Stop: A Sermon to White America


Return to SJ Lessons
Photo credit:
​Antelope Valley, Kristin Smith
For speaking engagements and writing workshops please fill out the contact form.
  • Home
  • Books & Bio
    • SCHEDULE &...
    • COMMUNITY
    • & WRITING
    • ON THE WRITE SIDE
  • Lesson Units
    • POETRY TERMS
    • SOCIAL JUSTICE >
      • Social Justice Lessons >
        • Standards
        • Bias
        • Racism
        • White Supremacy
        • Poetry Analysis >
          • SJ Movies
          • SJ BOOKS
        • Empowerment >
          • Debates
          • Ted Talk
    • MENTAL HEALTH >
      • Mental Health Lessons >
        • Awareness
        • Mindfulness
        • stigma
        • Suicide Prevention
        • Poetry Analysis
        • MH Research
    • LOOKISM >
      • Look Lessons >
        • Perception
        • Look Bias
        • Ugliness?
        • Beauty
        • Hair
        • Poetry Analysis
        • Look Research
    • BOUNDARIES >
      • Boundary Lessons >
        • Poetry Analysis
        • Crossing Boundaries
        • Healthy
    • Donations
  • Contact