Spring 2022 Reading Assignments Calendar,
Week by Week
- A downloadable version of this spring 2022 calendar is available here.
_______________________________________________
Class #10 Tuesday May 17
Life’s Journey: The future
Chapt. #15: “I Dream a World” pgs. 347 - 366
- Session #1: Poetry discussion:
- Discussion leader: Lois Kemp
- Poem: "Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing,” James Weldon Johnson, pg. 357.
- Bio from the American Academy of Poets
- “Lift Every Voice and Sing” read by Phylicia Rashad
- "LIft Every Voice and Sing” brief discussion by poet Elizabeth Alexander
- “Lift Every Voice and Sing” words with video presentation
- “Lift Every Voice” by Kirk Franklin and friends
- “Lift Every Voice and Sing” by Winston-Salem State University Choir
- Discussion leader: Lois Kemp
- Session #2: Selected poems, poll results, and final discussion
- Discusson leader: Linda
- Still relevant?: Langston Hughes, pgs. 354 - 356
- “Dream Variation"
- “I Dream a World”
- “For Russell and Rowena Jelliffe”
- Optimistic or not?:
- “I Have a Dream” Pat Parker, pg. 361
- “Walking Down Park” Nikki Giovanni pg. 372
- “Open Letter” Owen Dodson, pg. 350
- “The Gods Wrote” Keorapetse Kgositsile, pg. 358-359
- Apt conclusions?
- “Daybreak” Sterling Plumpp, pg. 362
- “The Song Turning Back Into Itself 2. a song for little children” Al Young, pg. 366 - 367
- Still relevant?: Langston Hughes, pgs. 354 - 356
- Discusson leader: Linda
______________________________________________________________________________________________
Spring 2022: Completed classes
Day #1 Tuesday March 15
Introductions and Previews
- Session #1: Intro to the course, the coordinators, the website
- Session #2: Small group discussions.
- Poems:
- "American History" Michael S. Harper
- “Black Cryptogram” Michael S. Harper, Pg. 237.
- Download and print: Text for Harper’s two poems and discussion questions for session #2
- Extra resourses for session #2:
- A 20-minute History from 1619 to today: Understanding the Black American Experience. (start at 00:45) (If you know the basics, start here: 04:40)
- 12 Poems to Read for Black History Month from the Academy of American poets.
- Interesting bio of Harper from the Poetry Foundation
- Extra resourses for session #2:
- Poems:
- Session #3: Whole class discussion of:
- "We Should Make a Documentary About Spades” by Terrance Hayes
- Text of this poem (downloadable)
- Bio from the Poetry Foundation
- Terrence Hayes website
- Download and print: Text for Hayes’s poem and the discussion questions for session #3
- "We Should Make a Documentary About Spades” by Terrance Hayes
Class #2, Tuesday March 22
Themes: Black Woman: Mother, Sister, Girl, Lover, Maid
Chapt. #8: “Is She Our Sister?” pgs. 163 - 200
- Session #1: The Many Representations of the Black Woman
- Presenter: Karen
- Related resources:
- "Stereotypes of African Americans.” (Wikipedia) A comprehensive listing of the main stereotypes of African Americans. Three categories: Historical; Contemporary; media. Each stereotype with a terse but apt explanation.
- "Popular and Pervasive Stereotypes of African Americans" (Naiotnal Museum of African American History and Culture)
- The Power of the AfroPick (TED Talk video, short)
- 12 Black Women to Know (Smithsonian)
- Session #2: Poetry discussion:
- Discussion leader: Karen
- Poems:
- “Tune for a teenage niece,” Eugene Redmond, pg. 193
- Eugene Redmond website
- Detailed biography with commentary (Encyclopedia.com)
- Brief bio, followed by Redmond’s reading of two poem and with each poem’s annotated text. (Furious Flower) and
- Bio of Eugene Redmond (Wikipedia)
- “There is a House,” Lamont B. Steptoe, pg. 195
- Bio of Lamont Steptoe
- "Meeting Lamont B. Steptoe, Warrior Writer” by Horace Coleman (“The Veteran”)
- Steptoe reads his antiwar poem, “The Brown Children of Vietnam."
- Extensive and interesting interview with Lamont Steptoe (American Poets Interview Series)
- “Tune for a teenage niece,” Eugene Redmond, pg. 193
- Poems:
- Discussion leader: Karen
- Session #3: Poetry discussion:
- Discussion leader: Chris
- Poem: “Stations,” Audre Lorde, pg. 180
- Extra resources:
- A Tribute to Audre Lorde: a video of readings/peformance of selected poems that brings Lorde's poetry to life.
- Lorde’s powerful statement: "There Is No Hierarchy Of Oppressions” (video)
- Bio by the Poetry Foundation
- Discussion leader: Chris
Class #3 Tuesday March 29
Portraits: The Black man: Boy, Brother, Father, Lover
Chapt. #9: “Don’t It Make You Want to Cry?” pgs. 201 – 228
- Session #1: The Stresses of Black Manhood in America
- Presenter: Linda
- Poems:
- “those boys that ran together,” Lucile Clifton, pg. 207
- "When Loneliness is a Man,” Yusef Komunykaa, pg. 214.
- "Portraiture,” Anita Scott Coleman, pg. 208.
- Poems:
- Resources:
- “Five Stages of Black Manhood,” essay in Ebony magazine
- "The challenges facing Black men – and the case for action.” The Brookings Institute, 2020
- “Black Masculinity in the United States,” by Yaa Baker, Anthropolgy News.
- “The Black Man’s Struggle for Identity and Power,” by Aza Nedhari, Inquiries (a journal for young social science researchers). (Written from the prespective of a future clinician. Includes a historical account of Black male oppression in the US, and the devastating effect on male identity formation.)
- Presenter: Linda
Session #2: Poetry discussion:
- Discussion leader: Sheila Brush
- Poem: "Poem for My Father" by Quincy Troupe pg. 225
- "Poem for My Father" with line numbers to pair with glossary (print for class)
- Introduction and Glossary for "Poem for My Father” (print for class)
- Resources:
- Bio at the Poetry Foundation with links to other poems by Troupe
- Thorough bio with links from encyclopedi.com
- Audio recording: Troupe reading "Poem for My Father,” starting at 2:00.
- Poem: "Poem for My Father" by Quincy Troupe pg. 225
Session #3: Poetry discussion:
- Discussion leader: Roz Kurzer
- Poems:
- “Blood to Blood,” Alvin Aubert, pg. 201
- Bio from the Poetry Foundation
- “Strong Men” Sterling A. Brown, pg. 204
- Sterling Brown reads “Strong Men”
- Bio from the Poetry Foundation.
- Bio from Lift Every Voice
- Neiel Israel, “When A Black Man Walks” (video); text of poem.
- “Blood to Blood,” Alvin Aubert, pg. 201
- Poems:
Class #4 Tuesday April 5
Portraits: Children, Childhood, and the Black Child
Chapt. #10: “Whose Children Are These?” pgs. 229 – 244
- Session #1: Portrayals of Children, Black and White
- Presenter: Nancy Brown
- An interesting list from the NYTimes of writing by and for black children: ‘Give the Children the Poems and Stories of Their Own People’
- An interesting list from the NYTimes of writing by and for black children: ‘Give the Children the Poems and Stories of Their Own People’
- Presenter: Nancy Brown
- Session #2: Poetry discussion:
- Discussion Leader: Wendy Salkind
- Two poems by Etheridge Knight
- “Circling the Daughter” pg. 240
- “The Bones of My Father.” pg. 77-78
- Two poems by Etheridge Knight
- Discussion Leader: Wendy Salkind
- Session #3: Poetry discussion:
- Discussion Leader: Liz Kaplan
- Poems:
- “Incident” by Countee Cullen. Click here for the downloadable text of this poem.
- Countee Cullen Bio from the Poetry Foundation
- Yale professor Elijah Anderson, recites “Incident”: (play segment :35-1:39)
- Kyle Ward, a young Black man, recites “Incident”: (play segment :47-1:52)
- From the National Park Service: "A Note on the Word “Nigger”
- “Fourteen” James A. Emanuel, pg. 235. Compare this poem to “Tune for a Teenage Niece” Eugene B. Redmond, pg. 193.
- James A. Emanuel Bio from the Poetry Foundation
- “Incident” by Countee Cullen. Click here for the downloadable text of this poem.
- Poems:
- Discussion Leader: Liz Kaplan
Class # 5 Tuesday April 12
Soul Support: Family and love
Chapter #11: “They Are All of Me” pgs. 245 - 282
- Session #1: Short presentation on the Black family, including the poems:
- “Nikki-Rosa” by Nikki Giovanni pg. 236
- “Good Times” by Lucille Clifton
- “the inner city” by Lucille Clifton
- Thematic resources:
- The Negro Family: The Case For National Action, aka the Moynihan Report, an introduction from Wikipedia
- "The Black Family in the Age of Mass Incarceration" By Ta-Nehisi Coates Atlantic Magazine, October 2015 Issue. Extensive analysis from a Black journalist’s perspective of the long term effects of the Moynihan Report. (long)
Session #2: Poetry discussion:
- Discussion leader: Harriet Magen
- Two poems by Nikki Giovanni:
- "Mothers" on pages 255-256,
- "Knoxville, Tennessee," on page 257.
- TED Talk by Giovanni: “Why Not the Right Thing the First Time.”
- Essay and exhibition: “A Poer’s Upbringing in Tennessee” from the Tennessee Sate Museum
- Bio from the Poetry Foundation
- Interview from NPR, relevant content
- Two poems by Nikki Giovanni:
Session #3: Poetry discussion:
- Discussion leader: Barbara Nesto
- Poems:
- "Black Mother Woman" Audre Lorde, pg. 267
- Bio from Poetry Foundation
- Video trailer: A Litany For Survival: the Life and Work of Audre Lorde
- A Tribute to Audre Lorde: a video of readings/peformance of selected poems that brings Lorde's poetry to life.
- “Satuday Afternoon, When All the Chores are Done” Harryette Mullen, pg. 275
- Bio from Poetry Foundation
- Interview: "Licked All Over by the English Language: Harryette Mullen in Conversation.”
- A four-minute video Q & A with Harryette Mullen, .
- "Black Mother Woman" Audre Lorde, pg. 267
- Poems:
Class #6 Tuesday April 19
Soul support: Music
Chapt. #12: “Oh, Singing Tree!” 283 - 296
- Session #1: Music and the African American Experience
- Presenter: Linda
- Please read:
- “Copacetic Mingus,” Yusef Komunyakaa, pg. 291
- “Brother John” Michael S. Harper, pg. 286
- The extra poem at the bottom of this week’s Question Sheet.
- Relevant resources:
- Wesley Morris, essay on Black music as American music (for the 1619 Project). NYTimes.
- "Jazz as Communication,” as essay by Langston Hughes.
- Concise history of the Blues with extra essays and links from the Encyclopedia Britannica.
- History of Jazz in America by Gunther Schuller, Encyclopedia Britannica
- History of Black Music in America, with Black music historian Prof. Fredara Hadley
- Nina Simone “Mississippi Goddam"
- Please read:
- Presenter: Linda
- Session #2: Poetry discussion:
- Discussion leader: Patricia Bisshopp
- Poems:
- "Homage to the Empress of the Blues" by Robert Hayden, pg.288.
- 1975 interview with Robert Hayden at the Brockport Writers Forum
- Short biography of Robert Hayden by the Poetry Foundation
- “Lamda" by Melvin B. Tolson, pg.294
- Bio from the Poetry Foundation
- Session Resources:
- Frank O'Hara "The Day Lady Died”
- Sister Rosetta Tharpe sings "Didn't it rain, children”
- Bessie Smith sings "Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out"
- "Homage to the Empress of the Blues" by Robert Hayden, pg.288.
- Session #3: Poetry discussion
- Discussion Leader: Margery Connor
- Poems:
- “The Art of Benny Carter,” Al Young, pg. 296
- Benny Cater, 1966, “I Can’t Get Started with You”
- "Al Young, Poet With a Musical Bent, Is Dead at 81” NYTimes obituary obituary.
- “Dancers,” Afaa MIchael Weaver, pg. 295
- “Chick Webb Live, 1938.”
- Billy Strayhorn “Take the A Train” with Duke Ellington
- “The Oracle,” a biographical sketch of the remarkable career and life of Afaa M. Weaver, from the Brown Alumni Magazine.
- “Walking Parker Home,” Bob Kaufman, pg. 290
- Bob Kaufman “Collected “poems”
- Charlie Parker’s biography and importance to jazz, from the Encylopedia Britannica
- “Charlie Parker - The Bird” a Parker recording session, 1947.
- Discussion Leader: Margery Connor
Class #7 Tuesday April 26
Soul Support: Religion
Chapt. #13: “Oh, My Soul is in the Whirlwind” pgs. 297 – 314
- Chapter theme: The Church in the African American Experience.
- Resources:
- “Origins Of The Black Church.” Dr. Anthea Butler, U. Penn, shares the origins of The Black Church from the time Africans were enslaved in America up to Emancipation.
- Resources:
Session #1: Poetry discussion:
- Discussion leader: Freeman Freeman
- Poems:
- "Madam and the Minister" by Langston Hughes, pg. 301.
- Extended bio from encyclopedia.com
- "The Creation" by James Weldon Johnson, pg. 304
- “The Creation” Video of James Weldon Johnson’s poem, “The Creation"
- “Revival" by Kevin Young, pg. 312
- "Nocturne at Bethesda" by Arna Bontemps, pg. 297
- Extended bio at encyclopedia.com
- "Madam and the Minister" by Langston Hughes, pg. 301.
- Resources:
- “The Black Church: This Is Our Story, This Is Our Song” PBS Documentary (Trailer)
- “The Black Church: This Is Our Story, This Is Our Song” PBS Documentary (Trailer)
Session #2: Poetry discussion:
- Discussion leader: Eleanor McCarthy
- Poems:
- "Myself When I Am Real,” Al Young, pg. 311
- "Holy Days,” Larry Neal, pg. 308
- “99 Names of Allah,” Bonaa Muhammad.
- Words to “99 Names Allah” by Bonaa Muhammad
- Resources:
- About Bonaa Muhammad, by the Daily Northwestern
- Charlie Mingus playing his composition: “Myself When I Am Real"
Class #8 Tuesday May 3
Life’s Journey: Death
Chapt. #14: “Dear Lovely Death” pgs. 315 - 346
- Session #1: Theme: Attitudes toward Death, Black and White.
- Presenter: Karen
- Session #2: Poetry discussion:
- Discussion leader: Vivian Malloy
- Chapter Poems:
- "The Rites for Cousin Vit" by Gwendolyn Brooks, pg. 318
- “the death of thelma sayles" by Lucille Clifton, pg. 320
- Extra poems:
- "The Chicago Picasso” by Gwendolyn Brooks
- "out of body" by Lucille Clifton
- Video: Lucille Clifton on what poetry is.
- Chapter Poems:
- Discussion leader: Vivian Malloy
- Session #3: Poetry discussion:
- Discussion leader: Chris
- Poems:
- “A Death Song” by Paul Laurence Dunbar, pg. 322
- Composer Howard Swanson’s beautiful setting of Dunbar’s “A Death Song”
- “Wake” by Langston Hughes, pg. 327
- “Go Down Death” by James Weldon Johnson, pg. 330
- “A Death Song” by Paul Laurence Dunbar, pg. 322
Class #9 Tuesday May 10
Life’s Journey: “Black Lives Matter: A Poetry Reader” An online reader: “. . . a starting place for reading poetry that celebrates, protests, calls out, and responds. We believe Black Lives Matter. Justice matters. Poetry matters.” Here is the list of poems, with links.
- Session #1: The Genre of Protest Poetry
- Presenter: Penney Stein
- Session #2: Poetry discussion:
- Discussion leader: Natalie Major
- Poem: “What Would Gwendolyn Brooks Do?” by Parnishia Jones. Poem printout, here, .
- “Gwendolyn Brooks” by poet Patricia Smith, a memoir essay about Smith’s encounters with Brooks, similar to Jones’ encounter.
- Session #3: Poetry discussion:
- Discussion leader: Howard Rubenstein
- Poems:
- “I Know All the Mothers Say Their Children Are Sweet” by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland. Poem printout, here.
- “Pulled Over In Short Hills N.J. 8:00 AM” by Ross Gay. Poem printout, here.
- “Safe Subjects” by Yusef Komunyakaa. Poem printout, here.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Winter 2022 Assignments, Links and Extra Reading
Class #1, Tuesday Jan. 11
- “Introduction” pp: xix-xxix
- Sessions:
- Introduction to the course, text, website: Linda.
- Preview of poets and themes: Karen
- Karen’s slideshow, Introduction to African American Poetry.
- Discussion of Lucille Clifton’s “song at midnight,” pg. 17.: Chris.
- Question Sheet for Lucille Clifton’s “song at midnight”
- Clifton’s “song at midnight” read aloud
- Clifton reads many of her poems:
- “song at midnight” verse 1, starts at 7:30 minutes
- “won’t you celebrate with me” starts at 39:15 minutes
- From the podcast Poetry Unbound, host Pádraig Ó Tuama reads and discusses “song at midnight” providing an aray of interesting insights.
Class #2, Tuesday Jan. 18
Chapter 1 “To Make a Poet Black” Pgs. 1-18
- Session #1: Theme: “What’s African American about African American Poetry?”
- Background reading: Panel of five African American poets debate "What’s African American about African American Poetry?”
- Focus on African American dialect in poetry: Discussion leader: Harriet Magen
- Harriet’s slideshow on African American Dialect
- “Speech and Dialect”: Informative essay from the Oxford Companion to African American Literature on the uses of African American vernacular and dialect by African American poets and novelists. By scholar Trudier Harris.
- Two extensive, fascinating websites on African American language:
- A list of poems in our textbook that use dialect
- Two interesting essays on specific us of dialect in African American poetry.
- Two book recommendatons from Harriet:
- McWhorter, J. (2017). Talking Back, Talking Black: Truths about America's Lingua France. New York: Bellevue Literary Press.
- Rickford, J., and Rickford, R. (2000). Spoken Soul. New York: John Wiley & Sons.
- Relevant and timely article: On Sidney Poitier, Code Switching and the Black Voice
Session #2: Selected poem(s):
- Discussion leader: Karen
- Countee Cullen, “Yet Do I Marvel” (This poem is not in our anthology. To download, click on the poem’s title)
- Karen’s slideshow on Countee Cullen
Session #3:
- Discussion Leader: Chris
- Harryette Mullen, “Blah Blah” pg. 13
- Interview with Harryette Mullen, with comments on “Blah Blah”
- A four-minute video Q & A with Harryette Mullen, with highly class-relevant questions.
- Harryette Mullen, “Blah Blah” pg. 13
Class #3, Tuesday Jan. 25
Chapter 2 “What is Africa to Me” Pgs. 19-29
- Session #1: Theme: Africa in African American poetry
- Discussion leader: Linda
- Essay: Trudier Harris. "The Image of Africa in the Literature of the Harlem Renaissance."
- Street interviews: African American 20-somethings on their knowledge of Africa. a
- Henry Louis Gates Jr.’s’ essay on commonly held images of Africa, from his book: Wonders of the African World.
- Bonus reading (themes relevantto class #2 & 3): An interview with poet Lance Jeffers (a forceful voice from the Black Arts, Black Aesthetic movement & moment)
- Discussion leader: Linda
Session #2: Selected poem(s):
- Discussion leader: Karen. Two poems:
- Countee Cullen: “Heritage” (This poem is not in our anthology. To download, click on the poem’s title)
- Audre Lorde, “125th Street and Abomey,” pg. 24.
- Notes and links about Lorde and about the poem.
- Essay by Lorde "Poetry is Not a Luxury”
- Karen’s slideshow on Cullen’s “Heritage" and Lorde’s "125th Street and Abomey”
- Dahomey’s Women Warriors, from Smithsonian Magazine
Session #3: Selected poem(s):
- Discussion leader: Chris
- Poem: Aafa M. Weaver, “My Father’s Geography” pg. 29
- “The Oracle,” a biographical sketch of the remarkable career and life of Aafa M. Weaver, from the Brown Alumni Magazine.
- Poem: Aafa M. Weaver, “My Father’s Geography” pg. 29
Class #4, Tuesday Feb.1
Chapter 3 “The Rocking Loom of History” Pgs 31-56
- Session #1: Theme: Slavery and Its legacies
- Discussion leader: Karen
- Informative slideshow
- TED Ed video (5 min): Brief history of the Atlantic slave trade and its impacts to this day. With links to extra resources.
- Discussion leader: Karen
- Session #2: Selected poem(s):
- Discussion leader: Liz Kaplan
- Robert Hayden, “Middle Passage” pgs. 43-48
- Liz’s Slideshow: Background for Hayden’s “Middle Passage”
- Robert Hayden reads "Middle Passage”
- 1975 interview with Robert Hayden at the Brockport Writers Forum
- Short biography of Robert Hayden by the Poetry Foundation
- Essay by Kwame Dawes on the importance of “Middle Passage" and of Robert Hayden.
- Robert Hayden, “Middle Passage” pgs. 43-48
- Discussion leader: Liz Kaplan
- Session #3: If time allows:
- Discussion leader: Linda
- Melvin Dixon, “Tour Guide: La Maison des Esclaves,” pg. 37.
- Short Biography of Melvin Dixon from the Aermican Academy of Poets
- World Heritage Site: La Maison des Esclaves. Click on Video tab to see inside the house. .
- Dalle Male Fofana, "Senegal, the African Slave Trade, and the Door of No Return: Giving Witness to Gorée Island.” Personal, reflective essay (long) on the author’s visit to La Maison des Esclaves, the House of Slaves.
- Jonah Mixon-Webster,"The Hauntologies of Slavery.” Personal, reflective essay by a poet and conceptual artist on his visit to La Maison des Esclaves, the House of Slaves.
Session #4: Slideshow: A photo-images tour of slavery
- Presenter: Roz Kurzer
Class #5, Tuesday Feb 8
Chapter 4 “Like Walking Out of Shadow” Pgs. 57-93
- Session #1: Theme: Jim Crow: Legacies and Identities
- Discussion leader: Eleanor McCarthy
- PBS four-part series on the Jim Crow Era
- Part I: Promises Betrayed
- Part II: Fighting Back
- Part III: Don’t Shoot Too Soon
- Part IV: Terror and Triumph
- Eleanor’s slideshow on the Jim Crow era
- PBS four-part series on the Jim Crow Era
- Discussion leader: Eleanor McCarthy
- Session #2: Selected poem(s):
- Discussion leader: Linda White
- Amiri Baraka’s “Return of the Native,” pg. 59.
- Amiri Baraka’s ”Preface to a Twenty Volume Suicide Note.” (This poem is not in our anthology. To read and download, click on the poem’s title)
- Discussion leader: Linda White
- Session #3: Selected poem(s):
- Discussion leader: Linda Shamoon
- Poem: Margaret Walker, “For My People” pg. 93 - 94.
- Margaret Walker reads “For My People”
- Story of Margret Walker Documentary Video (18 min) “Her art was activism”
- Natasha Tretheway “Flounder” pg. 92.
- Supplementary readings on the phenomenon of ‘passing.’: The One Drop rule. Book: "A Chosen Exile.” Review of “A Chosen Exile."
- Poem: Margaret Walker, “For My People” pg. 93 - 94.
- Discussion leader: Linda Shamoon
Class #6, Tuesday Feb 15
Chapter 5 “If We Must Die” Pgs. 95-118
- Session #1: Theme: Encountering racism every day.
- Discussion Leader: Polly Grant
- Extra reading:
- NYTimes article on Black teenagers daily encounters with racism and the toll it takes.
- From Oprah: "100 Women of Color Remember Their First Encounter With Racism—And How They Overcame It.”
- From Psychology Today: The racisim encountered every day by African Americans. (short article)
- Brookings Institute: “Is the US a Racist Country?"
Session #2: Selected poem(s):
- Discussion leader: Howard Rubenstein
- Claude McKay, “If We Must Die,” Pg. 115
- A biography of McKay
- McKay’s reading of “If We Must Die”
- Historical context: 'Red Summer. The race riots of 1919"
- Claude McKay, “If We Must Die,” Pg. 115
Session #3: Selected poem(s):
- Discussion leader: Wendy Salkind
- Gwendolyn Brooks, two poems:
- "Beverly Hills, Chicago,” pg. 96 - 97,
- Brooks’ most anthologized poem “We Real Cool” pg. 203.
- Brooks’ biography
- 1986 interview with Brooks. Watch from 14:35 - 25:45
- Mari Evans, “The World I See,” pg. 108.
- Gwendolyn Brooks, two poems:
Class #7 Tuesday Feb 22
Chapter 6 “This Man Shall Be Remembered” Pgs.121-138
- Chapter theme: Leaders
- A brief webliography with links to information about these less well known leaders: Robeson, Paige, Banneker, Walker, Moore, Knight, Bethune.
- Session #1: Selected poem(s):
- Discussion leader: Barry Marshall
- Rita Dove, “David Walker,” pg. 132
- Phillis Wheatley, "On Being Brought from Africa to America,” available here.
- Reources:
- Discussion leader: Barry Marshall
- Session #2: Selected poem(s):
- Discussion leader: Lois Kemp
- Lucille Clifton, "harriet," pg. 126;
- Sam Cornish, "Harriet Tubman," pg.127-8.
- Robert Hayden “Runagate Runagate” pg. 49
- Extra resources:
- Video intro to Harriet Tubman, “Harriet Tubman’s Road to Freedom.”
- Sam Cornish reads a poem, “When the Poem is Yours to Give” (start at 6:04)
- Sam Cornish, Emerson College Portrait, includes another Harriet Tubman poem by Cornish.
- Discussion leader: Lois Kemp
Class #8 Tuesday March 1
Chapter 7 “A Rock Against the Wind” Pgs.145-162
- Chapter Theme: Lovers: Black and Beautiful.
- An intro to the Black Arts Movement by the Academy of American Poets. (and here.)
- Black Is Beautiful, the start of a movement, from Essence Magazine.
- "How a Harlem fashion show started the ‘Black is Beautiful’ movement.” NYPost
- Dismantling Whiteness as the Beauty Standard
- Session #1: Selected poem(s):
- Discussion leader: Vivian Malloy
- Audre Lorde,
- “Coal” read and download
- “The Echo,” pg. 151
- “The Echo" read aloud. start at 2:18 min.
- A Tribute to Audre Lorde: a video of readings/peformance of selected poems that brings Lorde's poetry to life.
- Text for the poem “Litany for Survival” is here.
- Bio by the Poetry Foundation
- Harryette Mullen, “Omnivore,” Pg. 154
- Bio by the Acaddemy of American Poets
- Helpful interview: "Licked All Over by the English Language: Harryette Mullen in Conversation.”
- Mullen reads “All She Wrote.” The text of “All She Wrote” is here.
- Audre Lorde,
- Discussion leader: Vivian Malloy
- Session #2: Selected poems
- Discussion leader: Llinda Shamoon
- Everett Hoagland, “The Anti-Semanticist,” pg. 148
- Brief archive biography with short video of Hoagland reading an excerpt from “love Child – a black aesthetic.”
- Brief, informative, helpful interview with Hoagland.
- Langston Hughes, “My People,” Pg. 74
- Biography, Poetry Foundation
- Video biography
- Hughes’ impact on the Harlem Renaissance
- “Jazz Poetry and Langston Hughes,” includes video of Hughes’ reading “The Weary Blues"
- Everett Hoagland, “The Anti-Semanticist,” pg. 148