BLACK HISTORY MONTH ANTHOLOGY 2020-2021 PITTSBURGH PUBLIC SCHOOLS SCHILLER STEAM ACADEMY BLACK HISTORY MONTH ANTHOLOGY 2020-2021 TABLE OF CONTENTS 3 INTRODUCTION Introduction 4 “The Hill We Climb” by Amanda Gorman, U.S. Youth Poet Laureate 8 Grade 6 Poetry 52 Grade 6 Music 56 Grade 7 Poetry 101 Grade 7 Music & Art 106 Grade 8 Poetry 134 Grade 8 Music & Art cover art Jeremy Horne, Grade 7 2 SCHILLER STEAM ACADEMY - PITTSBURGH PUBLIC SCHOOLS BLACK HISTORY MONTH ANTHOLOGY 2020-2021 INTRODUCTION Schiller STEAM Academy is a poem with accompanying music honored to present this anthology background. Music Composition of student creative work in links were provided for students to observation of Black History create their music. Month. This anthology showcases their Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth creative work, and celebrates their grade students viewed video achievements in art-making with a performances of Amanda message. Gorman’s “The Hill We Climb” and “The Republic Rising: A Tribute Thank you to teachers at Schiller to the Empire State Building,” as STEAM Academy for encouraging well as Andra Day’s/Common’s and fostering student creativity and live performance of “RISE Up,” the critical conversation. And special “We Shall Overcome” portion of thanks to CMU’s Arts Greenhouse, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have for supplemental creative instruction a Dream” speech, and a video of and for designing this anthology. the walk toward Dr. King’s Speech, while spectators sang in unity, Most importantly, thank you to the “We Shall Overcome.” students at Schiller STEAM Academy for sharing your work with us! Students were asked to generate a list of quotes, reactions, or 2020-2021 take-aways from the videos. Students then chose a theme from the generated list to create 3 BLACK HISTORY MONTH ANTHOLOGY 2020-2021 Amanda Gorman, U.S. Youth Poet Laureate THE HILL WE CLIMB When day comes we ask ourselves, where can we find light in this never-ending shade? The loss we carry, a sea we must wade. We’ve braved the belly of the beast, We’ve learned that quiet isn’t always peace, and the norms and notions of what just is isn’t always just-ice. And yet the dawn is ours before we knew it. Somehow we do it. Somehow we’ve weathered and witnessed a nation that isn’t broken, but simply unfinished. We the successors of a country and a time where a skinny Black girl descended from slaves and raised by a single mother can dream of becoming president only to find herself reciting for one. And yes we are far from polished. Far from pristine. But that doesn’t mean we are striving to form a union that is perfect. We are striving to forge a union with purpose, to compose a country committed to all cultures, colors, characters and conditions of man. And so we lift our gazes not to what stands between us, but what stands before us. We close the divide because we know, to put our future first, we must first put our differences aside. We lay down our arms 4 SCHILLER STEAM ACADEMY - PITTSBURGH PUBLIC SCHOOLS BLACK HISTORY MONTH ANTHOLOGY 2020-2021 so we can reach out our arms to one another. We seek harm to none and harmony for all. Let the globe, if nothing else, say this is true, that even as we grieved, we grew, that even as we hurt, we hoped, that even as we tired, we tried, that we’ll forever be tied together, victorious. Not because we will never again know defeat, but because we will never again sow division. Scripture tells us to envision that everyone shall sit under their own vine and fig tree and no one shall make them afraid. If we’re to live up to our own time, then victory won’t lie in the blade. But in all the bridges we’ve made, that is the promise to glade, the hill we climb. If only we dare. It’s because being American is more than a pride we inherit, it’s the past we step into and how we repair it. We’ve seen a force that would shatter our nation rather than share it. Would destroy our country if it meant delaying democracy. And this effort very nearly succeeded. But while democracy can be periodically delayed, it can never be permanently defeated. In this truth, in this faith we trust. For while we have our eyes on the future, history has its eyes on us. This is the era of just redemption we feared at its inception. We did not feel prepared to be the heirs of such a terrifying hour 5 BLACK HISTORY MONTH ANTHOLOGY 2020-2021 but within it we found the power to author a new chapter. To offer hope and laughter to ourselves. So while once we asked, how could we possibly prevail over catastrophe? Now we assert, How could catastrophe possibly prevail over us? We will not march back to what was, but move to what shall be. A country that is bruised but whole, benevolent but bold, fierce and free. We will not be turned around or interrupted by intimidation, because we know our inaction and inertia will be the inheritance of the next generation. Our blunders become their burdens. But one thing is certain, If we merge mercy with might, and might with right, then love becomes our legacy, and change our children’s birthright. So let us leave behind a country better than the one we were left with. Every breath from my bronze-pounded chest, we will raise this wounded world into a wondrous one. We will rise from the gold-limbed hills of the west. We will rise from the windswept northeast, where our forefathers first realized revolution. We will rise from the lake-rimmed cities of the midwestern states. We will rise from the sunbaked south. We will rebuild, reconcile and recover. And every known nook of our nation and every corner called our country, our people diverse and beautiful will emerge, battered and beautiful. 6 SCHILLER STEAM ACADEMY - PITTSBURGH PUBLIC SCHOOLS BLACK HISTORY MONTH ANTHOLOGY 2020-2021 When day comes we step out of the shade, aflame and unafraid, the new dawn blooms as we free it. For there is always light, if only we’re brave enough to see it. If only we’re brave enough to be it. 7 BLACK HISTORY MONTH ANTHOLOGY 2020-2021 GRADE POETRY 6 8 SCHILLER STEAM ACADEMY - PITTSBURGH PUBLIC SCHOOLS BLACK HISTORY MONTH ANTHOLOGY 2020-2021 poem by TYLEAH ALEXANDER With this world united but also torn apart, there is still some hope in our hearts. Divided but not concerned. We shall stand for each other, one another. We are different but all the same, In a game, the flame is always lit the same but we can still count on one another together, forever we are human. No matter your beliefs, your religion we are human. The sun can still shine on the future of the world if you only were equal. The light, so bright will guide us to a better world. The hatred is being swirled in a poison brew. Making people forget why we are still fighting for rights. Because this world isn’t all right. 9 BLACK HISTORY MONTH ANTHOLOGY 2020-2021 poem by ISMAEL BALIMA We all have something to protect Something we cherish but other people don’t care, they’d rather have you perish You have to stay strong It won’t be for long Until we’re all happy again. Those lies that they tell you, you mustn’t believe because most definitely they are saying things that’ll make you bleed. If you stay strong It won’t be for long Until we’re all happy again. 10 SCHILLER STEAM ACADEMY - PITTSBURGH PUBLIC SCHOOLS BLACK HISTORY MONTH ANTHOLOGY 2020-2021 poem by KALIYAH BRENTLEY SMITH The theme is racism, the message is to be kind, being American is more than a pride we inherit, it’s a past we step into. The message is persistence. even as we hurt we hoped. The message behind the poem is to be united a nation that isn’t broken but simply unfinished You should not be afraid today what this world needs is peace make it better Not by what you got, but what you got in your heart” Rise up “We are not afraid” rise up unafraid “we have weathered a nation that isn’t broken but unfinished The message of that line is this nation needs improvement and that we are all not perfect. we cannot fall we will not fall we are the skyscraper “bring new light into the dark” we shall overcome what was happening in the world 11 BLACK HISTORY MONTH ANTHOLOGY 2020-2021 poem by BRANDON CHANEY We cannot fall we will not fall Blessed with power we do not rest We are the skyscraper On each block you’ll find the black, the Latin, the indigenous, the religious, the lovers beyond labels, the disabled community, foreigners, the sojourners Bring new light into the dark Every day we write the future-truth marches on inside of us. The hope that we need is succeeding The quality, not the longevity of one’s life is what is important. The future belongs to those who prepare it for today Education is a pass to the future for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today 12 SCHILLER STEAM ACADEMY - PITTSBURGH PUBLIC SCHOOLS BLACK HISTORY MONTH ANTHOLOGY 2020-2021 poem by IZABELLA GERNER We find many lies are told today We find souls slipping away From coronavirus To people who are not uniting us All these people stay on the street Well some people go and eat Some people are not as fortunate And they don’t act delicate This world is real not an allusion So this means we have to come to a conclusion People should be together forever Not every so years the answers back to never Stick up for what you know is right I and please just try to fight Nothings ever going to go back to peace If we Don’t just release 13 BLACK HISTORY MONTH ANTHOLOGY 2020-2021 poem by KYAIRE GRANDY just to let you know that black lives matter aka BLM we try to put it on a platter and try to tell y’all black lives matter we’ve been trying to tell y’all how we feel and what you could’ve did then we warned then we started to do a peaceful protest but y’all took it like we were doing a threat y’all white people and those black cops watching people get beat but we knew that y’all needed families to feed but your own kind getting beat in front on your face then we were tired of getting treated so in pittsburgh we were breaking into shoes stores groceries and all things like that now i hope you understand BLM 14 SCHILLER STEAM ACADEMY - PITTSBURGH PUBLIC SCHOOLS BLACK HISTORY MONTH ANTHOLOGY 2020-2021 ‘‘Behind Scenes’’ by CHLOE HARPER COVID is breaking us down for we can not turn around and find a cure to help stop people from dying, mothers, fathers, sons, and daughters..