Looking through the Eyes of Injustice:

My Soul’s Song to the World ment, I hope to reach their souls and cause of the Jim Crow Laws themselves, and them to burn as mine did when my eyes a timeline that showed significant dates My students’ eyes are affixed to the engulfed those piercing images and my and images from 1789 to 2000 along with screen as the story of Emmit Till unfolds. ears heard those haunting sounds of rac- many more foci of the Jim Crow Laws. In an instant, his unrecognizable body, one ism and injustice. Not only are their souls This was a preface to their viewing of the eye gouged out and a bullet to his crushed burning with these images, but, also, with series. skull is pulled from the Tallahatchie River. the images and reminders of courage and Our students watched the movie series, Emmit’s crime? Whistling at or flirting with triumphs in the face of adversity. Eyes on the Prize, which is a PBS series a white store owner. His assailant’s crime? that gives a detailed account of the events, Murder. And the verdict? NOT GUILTY! “The Movement” people, places, tragedies, triumphs, and Amidst gasps and piercing silence, I stand truths of African-Americans through ex- in my classroom grieving for his mother I taught seventh/eighth grade Lan- ploration of the 1954 Brown vs. the Topeka, and for him. Amidst gasps and deafening guage Arts in Wesley Chapel, Florida, at Kansas, Board of Education Supreme Court silence, I stand in my room as the civil rights Weightman Middle School. I was fortunate decision that outlawed separate but equal movement marches on. A door is opened into to have my students for two years in a public schools in the . a time period of injustice, unrest, personal process called looping. I taught them in The film series views such issues from tragedies, and victories. Our venue for ex- seventh grade and when I taught the Civil the perspective of the mid-1980s, taking pression? Poetry. Right’s Movement and Poetry unit, I then the viewers back to the Civil Right’s Move- Poetry is my soul’s song to the world. had them in eighth grade as well. In sev- It is my expression of my experiences. In enth grade, I taught a unit that focused on Figure 1. the poem, “I Want to Write,” by Margaret all of the various prejudices, simply titled Walker, she says, “I want to write the songs “A Unit on Prejudice.” of my people” (Jones, 2006). I, too, want to Most of my students (I did get some write the songs of my people. Poetry lends new students the following year) entered itself well to personal/emotional expres- eighth grade with this background. So I sion. This time in history is personal to me began “Poetry and the Civil Rights Move- and through poetry, it became personal to ment” by referring back to their seventh my students, and they spoke the emotions grade prejudice unit. We brainstormed of my people and of themselves. their thoughts and knowledge of the Civil I’m not emotionally attached to any Rights movement via KWL. The history of the units that I teach except this one. I teacher on my team integrated lessons have a selfish reason for teaching this unit. with mine at this point in the process. “Here are my people and some of their ex- We decided to partner to create a periences. Please don’t forget them. They’ve cohesive view of this time period. She been forgotten for too long.” Through my had our students read a news story, “The students’ viewing of the Civil Right’s Move- Rise and Fall of Jim Crow” (The Tampa Tribune, 2002), that detailed how one Cassandra Pierce-Thomas is vote makes a difference to signify the a language arts teacher importance of the Black vote, the sepa- rate but unequal rights that were forced “Eyes on the Prize”: Six tapes that cover the period from at Weightman Middle School 1954 to 1965. in Wesley Chapel, Florida. upon Blacks, sanctioned prejudice, a list

MULTICULTURAL EDUCATION 

Integrating Poetry and African-American History

Cassandra Pierce-Thomas ment of the 1950s and 1960s (Blackside, son’s life. It is a memory that is shared in could share myself with them and voice my 1987). The series, available in two versions poetry form. Normally, when a memoir is opinions as well as give them some direction as indicated in Figures 1 and 2 below, can written, it is written by the person sharing in their writing. I know what you are think- be purchased on eBay or amazon.com or the memory. ing. Yes, you run the risk of the students through most school resource centers. I displayed this definition on the over- copying everything that you do, except, or The film series is lengthy, so the history head. I had tailored the definition for the even your words. This is how some of our teacher and I both had the students view specific purposes of this unit. It’s a poetry most famous people started out as writers, segments in our classes. I gave instructions unit, and I wanted their memoirs to have a artists, musicians, designers, etc. Everyone for viewing in my language arts classroom. poetic format or flare. The students’ mem- has to start somewhere. Besides, imitation Using framed character charts, the stu- oirs were written as narratives and with is the sincerest form of flattery, right? dents took notes on the African-Americans dialogue. Of course many memoirs aren’t I didn’t write in class with them for whose life stories had an impact on them. written this way, but as writers, we can the sake of time and so that I would have I modeled this note-taking assignment by choose the style and format in which we a copy ready for the day’s lesson. Once I showing them my notes on Muhammad Ali want to write, which gives us the freedom went over the definition, I showed them (See Table 1 below) They used their notes to be creative. a copy of the memoir that I had written. I as information for their first poem. I wrote with the students, on some chose Emmit Tills because his face and his occasions, throughout the unit so that I story will never leave me. Poetry at Last! Table 1. Memoir of an African-American Framed Character Chart for “Civil Rights” Video. A memoir is an impression of a per-

Figure 2.

“Eyes on the Prize II”: Covers the period 1954 to 1985.

SUMMER 2007  August 1955: Emmett Till was a 14- Figure 3. Figure 4. My opponent is fierce, twisting my words, year-old boy from Chicago visiting his as I feel the malice spout from his lips. relatives in Mississippi (see Figure 3). I feel more beaten down every day. After working all day picking cotton, Em- But then, I see them, mitt went with some friends to buy candy the ones who believe, from the store. While in the store, Emmitt and the burden of acceptance is lifted, allegedly whistled at, or openly flirted with, for a time. Carolyn Bryant (the White shop-owner) But I will not fail. and this action angered her husband. I refuse to. Although they were worried at first about It is voting day today, the incident, the boys soon forgot about it. A and the beads of sweat have left me soaked, few days later, two men came to the cabin as my pacing grows harder. of Mose Wright, Emmitt’s uncle, in the But then I see them, my brothers, middle of the night. Roy Bryant, the owner pouring into the voting areas. of the store, and J. W. Milam, his brother- Emmitt Till Emmitt Till and I feel hope. in-law, drove off with Emmitt. Three days I have won! I have won! later, Emmitt Till’s body was found in the I am Carl Stokes, the first black mayor “Who he staying with?” Tallahatchie River. One eye was gouged of . “They say an uncle…” out, and his crushed-in head had a bullet It is my position. “Yessa, what you need?” in it (see Figure 4). The corpse was nearly It is my pride. “Is Emmitt Tills staying here?” unrecognizable; Mose Wright could only It is my triumph. “Yessa, thas my nephew.” positively identify the body as Emmitt’s —Matt Peters because it was wearing an initialed ring. “We’d like a word with him!” “Emmitt, thays people ta see ya!” The men were identified and tried. The Matt captured this man’s fears, doubts, jury deliberated for just over an hour, then Yes, what is it? “Boy, we need to talk to you outside!” and courage throughout his poem. Through returned a “not guilty” verdict on Sep- his words, Carl Stokes’ memory lives on. tember 23rd, the 16th anniversary of the Ok… signing of the Bill of Rights. (Meranaam The night air was thick and musty. As I Joker, 2005) sat quietly in the rear seat, I knew I would Personal Memoirs never see my family again… This event rocked me to the core and My students may have been asking still does when I read about Emmitt Till My body was unrecognizable. themselves how these events related to or see his pictures. I had to express my their lives. “What does this have to do with “How could they do this to my son?” These me?” It is in our nature to disregard things thoughts about this tragedy! I read my were the piercing words of my mother. memoir to the class with a copy on the She cried until muffled sighs were all she that do not relate to us specifically. overhead projector. could muster. I wanted my students to realize that the events that they viewed and were now Shootin’ the Breeze with My Boys The trial lasted for three days. For my writing about weren’t just stories, but mother and family, it felt like three years. Man, you want to see a picture of my lady? pains, tragedies, and heartbreaks of real “You don’t have a lady. You too ugly to NOT GUILTY…This verdict stayed with human beings. So, I got them to look at have a lady.” my mom for her lifetime…Just shootin’ their histories by listing as many events I’ll prove it! Wah-la the breeze with my boys… as they could remember and to choose the Yeah, and ain’t she pretty? —Voice of Emmitt Till events that were most poignant or had a “All right man, you got us there!” lasting effect on their lives. This prepared “But, I bet you won’t go into that store By: Cassandra Pierce-Thomas them to write their personal memoirs. and say hi to that White lady…” Oh, that’s nothing! All of my students were silent. I didn’t The students chose their most com- “If you’re so big and bad, go do it, know whether to have a discussion about pelling life event and began to write I dare you!” my poem, so I took cues from them and in information such as: who was involved, “I double dare you!” their silence, I allowed them to write their when it happened, how it happened, why it happened, and the outcome. I shared All I was doing was shootin’ the breeze memoirs. th with my boys and didn’t know that my life Carl Stokes, the first black mayor of my personal memoir called, “The 14 was over the minute I stepped into that Cleveland, and his story left an impres- Visit,” which detailed the stillbirth of my store. The streets were dry and dusty. It sion upon Matt Peters. In his poem, Matt firstborn child. was the summer of 1954 and Mississippi revisits the highs and lows that Carl ex- th hadn’t seen rain in a couple of days. perienced prior to and after the election. The 14 Visit I was visiting my uncle for a while and 11:00 a.m. decided to hang out with some local My Triumph Quintero said she had passed. boys. Stepping boldly inside the store, I just knew he was playing a cruel joke I am on my way to victory now. the sweet aroma of candy filled the air. on me… I have tried before, but failed, Jumbo cherry licorice selling for a penny She had to be alive. and now I will not. a bundle and that luscious peppermint Why wouldn’t she be? I refuse to. twirl candy that when you put it on your This had to be a mistake. It will be a difficult fight, tongue, it evaporated like mist hitting the Why wasn’t she moving anymore and as I knew from the start, why can’t they find her heartbeat? morning sun… and as I know now, I called my husband and told him standing at the podium. “Fred, that dusty old nigger spoke to her!” that he should get down to the Their stench of distrust fills the air, “He did what?” office right way and and yet I know there are some who believe. “Yeah, looked her square in the eyes, Our little girl had passed. My brothers believe, and now those and said, ‘Hi!’ ” I sobbed uncontrollably. very few do, too.

MULTICULTURAL EDUCATION  My husband and I sat there as the of the horse behind me Who understood that she had a voice doctor explained the events of that sent me flying. that had to be heard night and the following day. My life flashed before my eyes Who supported feministic views and I realized I wasn’t gone, Who achieved success in writing 2:00 p.m. but the pain seared through my body. many works of fiction I sat in my apartment waiting for it all I could taste the Colorado soil, Who failed to be rightfully recognized to begin and end. and as the pain went through my arm, during her lifetime Minutes seemed like hours and hours days. I knew it was broken. Lived from 1891 to 1960 I was just going through the motions… It was hours before I saw any help, Hurston 6:00 p.m. all the way up that mountain, —Star Thomas Checking into the hospital, and I will remember it always, Discussing preparations for Angela, my pain. Through reading the historical infor- preparing for labor, —Matt Peters mation and writing this type of poem, the preparing for birth, students had to glean the essence of that preparing for death… This was the most compelling memory person’s character and portray it through of Matt’s life. The most compelling memory 9:15 a.m. their poems. Star achieved that objective. May angel -- my adorable sleeping angel. of the Civil Right’s Movement for him was Carl Stokes’s victory as Mayor of Cleve- I loved her so hard. Ecphrastic Poetry “God, please give her back to me…” land—both life events—both very real. PLEEEEAASE!!!!!!!! Ecphrastic poetry is when the viewer/ 11:00 a.m. Bio-Poems poet “enters into” the spirit and feeling of the photograph, by describing, noting, Now I had to give her up… A biographical poem captures the es- I kissed her reflecting, or addressing. This is a poetic sence of a personality. It addresses his or I looked at Robert… response to an image (Gorrell, 2000). I LET HER GO… her challenges, triumphs, and the days in This is an adaptation of Nancy Gor- —Cassandra Pierce-Thomas which he or she lived. rell’s poetry lesson shared as part of her I approached this type of poem by “Curriculum of Peace” in the May 2000 I experienced the death of Emmit bringing in an African-American History issue of English Journal. The day before Tills as a mother. I lost my baby girl as his calendar that gave summaries of 12 great this lesson, I had the students find photos mother lost her 14- year-old baby boy. This African- Americans and their accomplish- by way of the Internet on the Civil Right’s was one of my connections while watching ments. I made duplicates and provided Movement. They searched using www. this series and I hoped that my students each group of students a folder with this google.com or www.askjeeves.com would connect in a similar way. This event information. They read the historical I had no clue of possible internet sites, was painful to me, yet I informed the stu- accounts and decided who they would so I suggested these search engines and I dents that they could write about an event write about. I displayed the format on the searched along with them. Our school has that was as personal and as painful as this overhead, went over each line of the poem, a portable i-Book computer lab with print- one or not. and the students wrote a class poem about ers, so this was quite do-able. This took the It is important for me to clarify some- Jackie Robinson. whole class period. thing at this juncture. It is not typical for Afterwards, the students wrote their The following day, I prefaced this seg- me, as a teacher, to “put my business” out bio-poems and Star Thomas chose Zora ment by discussing the difference between there like that, but I could not have taught Neale Hurston. empathy and sympathy. We talked about this lesson in any other way than for it to how pictures speak volumes and that they be personal. Zora Neale Hurston: Woman of Endurance tell a story all on their own and that we The beginning of this unit is poignant were going to try to put ourselves into the and heart piercing, and after viewing the Zora shoes of another person via a photograph. series and hearing my poetic responses, I Courageous, bold, unique, straightforward I showed some images of the Civil often felt as if someone had crept into my Liked to put pen to paper Right’s Movement and then asked the classroom and turned on the mute button, Who felt that she could be a spokesperson for women students to look at the people, places, or the silence was just that piercing. However, things in these pictures. I told them to step when I read their poetry, I knew the silence Who tried to shed light on African- American folk culture inside the photograph and imagine that was reflective instead of nonresponsive. they were one of the people or objects there Matt reflects on his “pain” after tak- Figure 5. or be themselves and imagine that they ing a spill in the Rockies in the summer could speak to someone in the particular of ’96. photograph. They were guided to think about what they would say to the person MY PAIN or what they would say if they were that It was the summer of ’96 person. They chose their images and gave in the snow-capped peaks of the Rockies. a voice to silence. Below is Nick Steece’s I should have said no, choice and he wonders… But I had little choice. His name was “Goofy,” Attack on Protestors my own angel of death. I was nervous the whole time Where? and the rain made it worse. Where is his family to help ’em? Down the slopes we went, Where is the world to stand up to them? and an unfortunate slip Attack on Protestors Why do people look and do not speak?

SUMMER 2007  Where is the freedom that this young What Am I? that now seems so far removed from it. man seeks? I am hopes and dreams… They were able to see how hard work and Is he the only one to take a stand? Releasing people and enabling them endurance pay off. They also pondered Aren’t you tired, from everything, to soar… their own place in the world. of being banned? Loud and Powerful: I unite all of humanity! It is my hope that they will carry this Who are these people, these cops? Breaking chains and leading the way… unit with them and make a difference in I inspire! their world as an extended response to Where is the yelling of “STOP?” I cast an overwhelming feeling of victory! Where is his family to help ‘em? the exposure of the Civil Right’s Move- —Freedom: by 6th period Where is the world to stand up to them? ment. I believe that poetry is a soul’s song to the world. Hopefully, my students will —Nick Steece What Am I? sing the songs that they have written to a Nick questions the lack of involvement I am an intense glare: a violent murderer. world that has forgotten or never heard it from anyone. Will Nick become the activist Burning fire escapes from my eyes. before. A horrible pain is unleashed onto others. that he expects others should be in the face There is vandalism on my skin and gossip of injustice? It is my hope that he will. in my mouth. References My body is bitter with despair and…I A Riddle Poem …will…never…Care! Blackside (Williams, J., and the Eyes on the —Hatred by 3rd period Prize Production Team). (1987). Eyes on the I define a riddle poem as poetry that prize: America’s civil rights years, 1954-1965. [PBS] New York: Viking. defines an object through the use of adjec- I am well of aware of my students’ tives and other descriptive words as well as Blackside. (Williams, J., and the Eyes on the impressions of this time period. They were Prize Production Team). (1987). Eyes on the phrases that tell what the object is doing. precise in illustrating their perceptions After discussing the nature of riddles, I prize: America’s civil rights years, 1954-1985. through this collaborative effort. I chose [PBS] New York: Viking. placed this riddle poem on the overhead. these specifically because of their stark Gorrell, Nancy. (2000). Teaching empathy contrast which, in my opinion, summarizes through ecphrastic poetry: Entering a curric- What Am I The Civil Right’s Movement. ulum of peace. English Journal, 89, 32-40. I’m a dark brown river Jones, P., Internet Poetry Archives. (2006). I want to write by Margaret Walker. Retrieved Flowing down a mound Looking Back Of white billowing softness April 18, 2006 from http://www.ibiblio.org/ Small brown chunks of rock I wanted the students to think about ipa/poems/walker/i_want_to_write.php McDonald, G. (1993). Writing poetry: Teacher Are in my way the people they encountered, the events, Then I come to a white mountain resource pages & reproducible activity their reactions and thoughts about what pages. St. Louis, MO: McDonald Publishing All of a Sudden I hit a rock they saw and how they responded on this There is a ball of red Company. journey of discovery. I had them write at the top MeraNamm Joker. Xanga Cite. (2005) Em- a reflection piece expressing what they mitt Tills photos and details of his murder. —Unknown Author (McDonald, 1993) learned. Chloe’s reflection embodies the Retrieved March 21, 2005 from http://www. sentiments of my students as a whole. xanga.com The students took a guess at what the Newspapers in Education: The Rise and Fall poem was referring to: an ice cream sun- of Jim Crow. (2002, October 21). The Tampa “All I can say is I know more than I ever Tribune, pp. 15 dae. I brought their thoughts back to the did and it changed my life and under- Civil Rights Movement by asking them to standing of what happened during a time think about everything they had seen and when there was two water fountains—one heard about “The Movement.” colored and one white.” They made a list of all of the people, —Chloe Letourneau places, things and ideas pertaining to it. They listed things like segregation, free- Now What? dom, hatred, injustice, etc. From the list, the students chose the topic of their class Poetry is my first love of writing, and poem. These poems are some of my most teaching the history of my people is my prized possessions as a teacher. passion. The students learned the extreme hatred and abuse of a people in an America

MULTICULTURAL EDUCATION