Did everyone know it's Black History Month? It is. I am doing some research about the Harlem Renaissance and its literary movement to to with my 7th graders as a celebration of the month, as well as a kick off to a poetry unit.
I came across this poem and loved the hopeful message of it. It's not as bitter as some of the poetry of the era, and it very much looks forward to a brighter future.
Lift Every Voice and Sing
James Weldon Johnson
Lift every voice and sing,
Till earth and heaven ring,
Ring with the harmonies of Liberty;
Let our rejoicing rise
High as the listening skies,
Let it resound loud as the rolling sea.
Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us,
Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us;
Facing the rising sun of our new day begun,
Let us march on till victory is won.
Stony the road we trod,
Bitter the chastening rod,
Felt in the days when hope unborn had died;
Yet with a steady beat,
Have not our weary feet
Come to the place for which our fathers sighed?
We have come over a way that with tears has been watered.
We have come, treading our path through the blood of the slaughtered,
Out from the gloomy past,
Till now we stand at last
Where the white gleam of our bright star is cast.
God of our weary years,
God of our silent tears,
Thou who hast brought us thus far on the way;
Thou who hast by Thy might,
Led us into the light,
Keep us forever in the path, we pray.
Lest our feet stray from the places, our God, where we met Thee,
Lest our hearts, drunk with the wine of the world, we forget Thee;
Shadowed beneath Thy hand,
May we forever stand,
True to our God,
True to our native land.
Go celebrate Black History Month! If you're in D.C., go to the U-Street neighborhood and take the walking tour(signs are on the street) - it's fascinating and it gives you an opportunity to go to Cakelove! If you're in Chicago, visit this link: http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/lifestyle/explore/chi-0207_black_history_listfeb07,1,1435180.story. If you're in Boston, go to the Museum of African American History. If you're in NY, go to Harlem! Living in cities is the best for celebrating and learning.
5 comments:
We celebrated Black History month last weekend in D.C. on U-Street at Ben's Chili Bowl... what a great experience, and new exposure for Andrew. Loved it!
Thanks for sharing the poem. And, once again, I'm so amazed that you know all this stuff enough to inspire the young minds of children! I try to inspire people to eat right and exercise to control their diabetes and high cholesterol. Mostly, they'd rather take a pill.
maybe calvin and i will head out here in boston. i miss you!!! (by the way)
I got to know this song/poem quite well working in DC...we sang it every day at the beginning of school as opposed to saying the National Anthem. I had never heard of it before, but apparently it is sort of like the Black Anthem. It does have a very hopeful, positive message to it and I don't mind having the entire first verse memorized. Good luck celebrating and educating yourself and your students on Black history.
I will celebrate by reading Langston Hughes, one of the best!!
Post a Comment