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.
Analysis: Historical references are provided for contextual understanding and critical thinking.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.
Watch the 2:30 video
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.
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.
POLICE VIDEOS button: NPR has a hybrid of articles and
3 videos 43, 40 and 28 minutes respectively.
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.
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
Photo credit:
​Antelope Valley, Kristin Smith
For speaking engagements and writing workshops please fill out the contact form.