February is Black History Month – a time for us all to pause and reflect on our contribution to justice and our role in addressing systemic racism. As a teacher, I am in a position of influence and will commit to having on-going discussions in my role during February and every month and the days after. I endeavour to have the courage to speak-up and respond.
After analyzing and discussing some of Amanda Gorman’s work last week, I set out to find other texts for students to connect with deeply.
This poem, by Maya Angelou, made for an amazing example. We examined the authors writing style and literary devices used (use of similes and rhyme, tone) and followed it up by listening to Ben Harper’s version. This provided a context to discuss how different types of media can influence our thinking and feeling. But, it led to an even deeper discussion about the ethics of remixing an artist’s work.
We started with the quote, “Still, I’ll Rise” and analyzed that single word: STILL. Still what?
Maya Angelou – Performs her poem, “I’ll Rise”
Ben Harper – Peformance, “Still I Rise”.
Black History Collection: