Linked Text Set: Watch Us Rise by Emilee Robb

Linked Text Set: Watch Us Rise by Emilee Robb https://padlet.com/emileerobb4/99v5z8jjpjayb2bc en-us 2022-10-30 17:44:59 UTC 2022-10-31 00:30:01 UTC hello@padlet.com Essential Questions/Theme emileerobb4 https://padlet.com/emileerobb4/99v5z8jjpjayb2bc/wish/2362252611 Youth Activism:
What does youth activism look like?
How can young people become activists in their communities?]]> 2022-10-30 18:23:50 UTC https://padlet.com/emileerobb4/99v5z8jjpjayb2bc/wish/2362252611 "The noise we are creating is not background noise. We do not want to be the siren blending in so much that no one pays attention. We are sounding the alarm. This is an emergency" (Watson & Hagan, 326). emileerobb4 https://padlet.com/emileerobb4/99v5z8jjpjayb2bc/wish/2362275350 2022-10-30 18:59:08 UTC https://padlet.com/emileerobb4/99v5z8jjpjayb2bc/wish/2362275350 "'These are the stories you all teach us over and over--that young people can make a difference. But now that we are trying to do something, to stand up for what we believe, you all want to shut us up, shut us down'" (Watson & Hagan, 258). emileerobb4 https://padlet.com/emileerobb4/99v5z8jjpjayb2bc/wish/2362280169 2022-10-30 19:04:53 UTC https://padlet.com/emileerobb4/99v5z8jjpjayb2bc/wish/2362280169 "'You must learn to look at and see each other--you have to come together over race and class and color and nationality and sexuality and size and ability, and so on'" (Watson & Hagan, 199). emileerobb4 https://padlet.com/emileerobb4/99v5z8jjpjayb2bc/wish/2362284340 2022-10-30 19:11:52 UTC https://padlet.com/emileerobb4/99v5z8jjpjayb2bc/wish/2362284340 Companion Novel: The Hate U Give emileerobb4 https://padlet.com/emileerobb4/99v5z8jjpjayb2bc/wish/2362346846 Starr Carter is a sixteen year old who is a part of two very different worlds, the predominantly white prep school she attends and her neighborhood of Garden Heights. Starr finds it difficult to balance her life between the two different sides of herself because in one space she is seen as too black, but in the other she is told she acts too white. However, the reality of racism, police brutality, and systems of oppression become impossible to ignore when Starr witnesses one of her childhood friends, Khalil, murdered by an on-duty police officer. Starr struggles deciding whether or not to speak out against the officer that took her friend, but after watching the violence continue and witnessing the very system that should be protecting herself and her family condone violence against them, she decides she cannot be quiet anymore. Starr joins forces with April Ofrah, a lawyer and activist, and begins raising her voice for people to hear. She testifies against the officer in court, she speaks out about the gangs in her community, and she speaks at protests. Despite facing setbacks, and being targeted by the people whom she is attempting to take down, Starr finds her voice and refuses to be silenced anymore. She vows to continue speaking out for all of the victims of police brutality and against the system that is designed to oppress and harm the black community.]]> 2022-10-30 21:08:53 UTC https://padlet.com/emileerobb4/99v5z8jjpjayb2bc/wish/2362346846 "Yet I think it'll change one day. How? I don't know. When? I definitely don't know. Why? Because there will always be someone ready to fight. Maybe it's my turn" (Thomas, 443). emileerobb4 https://padlet.com/emileerobb4/99v5z8jjpjayb2bc/wish/2362358463 2022-10-30 21:32:23 UTC https://padlet.com/emileerobb4/99v5z8jjpjayb2bc/wish/2362358463 "That's the problem. We let people say stuff, and they say it so much that it becomes okay to them and normal for us. What's the point of having a voice if you're gonna be silent in those moments you shouldn't be?" (Thomas, 251) emileerobb4 https://padlet.com/emileerobb4/99v5z8jjpjayb2bc/wish/2362360611 2022-10-30 21:36:31 UTC https://padlet.com/emileerobb4/99v5z8jjpjayb2bc/wish/2362360611 (April Ofrah)"'Who said talking isn't doing something?' she says. 'It's more productive than silence. Remember what I told you about your voice?' (Starr) 'You said it's my biggest weapon'" (Thomas, 410). emileerobb4 https://padlet.com/emileerobb4/99v5z8jjpjayb2bc/wish/2362362544 2022-10-30 21:41:15 UTC https://padlet.com/emileerobb4/99v5z8jjpjayb2bc/wish/2362362544 Focal Text: "Watch Us Rise" by Renee Watson and Ellen Hagan emileerobb4 https://padlet.com/emileerobb4/99v5z8jjpjayb2bc/wish/2362363069 Watch Us Rise by Renee Watson and Ellen Hagan is a YA fiction novel that follows two young activists on their journey to get their voices heard by those in charge.

Jasmine and Chelsea are best friends who go to a high school that claims to be progressive in its beliefs. However, the girls become frustrated when they notice that even their favorite clubs' actions aren't matching the school's progressive claim. From a writing club that refuses to focus on anything other than classic literature written by white men, to a drama club who type casts roles and leans into racist stereotypes of black women, the girls' school is a place where the students, especially the young women, don't get a voice. The two decide to start their own club where they use their combined skills of writing, art, blogging, and more to have their voices, and the voices of those around them heard. Their online platform "Write Like a Girl" quickly goes viral, but not everyone is a fan of Jasmine and Chelsea's outspokenness. Despite pushback from peers, an attempt to silence their words, and a threatening school administration, Jasmine and Chelsea are determined to have their voices and the voices of other young women heard. No matter what is thrown their way, they are willing to push through it and rise above with their voices up high. ]]> 2022-10-30 21:42:40 UTC https://padlet.com/emileerobb4/99v5z8jjpjayb2bc/wish/2362363069 "The Hill We Climb" by Amanda Gorman emileerobb4 https://padlet.com/emileerobb4/99v5z8jjpjayb2bc/wish/2362370491 "The Hill We Climb" was the poem Amanda read at President Biden's inauguration and it deals with the theme of advocating for a brighter future. A prominent call-to-action portion of the poem is below:

"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.

Every breath from my bronze-pounded chest, we will raise this wounded world into a wondrous one."

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/01/20/amanda-gormans-inaugural-poem-the-hill-we-climb-full-text.html

]]> 2022-10-30 21:59:25 UTC https://padlet.com/emileerobb4/99v5z8jjpjayb2bc/wish/2362370491 emileerobb4 https://padlet.com/emileerobb4/99v5z8jjpjayb2bc/wish/2362384094 There are many different ways that young people can become involved in activism. While some may feel empowered by speaking up in front of people, or writing poems or stories, others may feel that words aren't their way of expression. This video showcases a movement by a group of students who are using their artistic talents as a form of protest by creating beautiful murals highlighting issues in their communities and beyond. These murals really are worth a thousand words. ]]> 2022-10-30 22:32:25 UTC https://padlet.com/emileerobb4/99v5z8jjpjayb2bc/wish/2362384094 emileerobb4 https://padlet.com/emileerobb4/99v5z8jjpjayb2bc/wish/2362390011 Daniel Arzola began his activism career at a young age by combing his passion for graphic design with his need to speak out for the LGBTQ+ community, against toxic masculinity, and to create a voice for others who have been quieted. This piece not only shows a moving example of a graphically designed piece of protest art, but it also speaks out against the idea that you have to be a part of a community in order to advocate for it. Movements become unstoppable when groups of people from all different identities, locations, and ages join together in support of one cause. ]]> 2022-10-30 22:45:34 UTC https://padlet.com/emileerobb4/99v5z8jjpjayb2bc/wish/2362390011 emileerobb4 https://padlet.com/emileerobb4/99v5z8jjpjayb2bc/wish/2362394299 This nonfiction article introduces several young individuals who have become activists for what they are passionate about. Many of the people in the article are speaking out about climate change and advocating for ways to better the environment. Young people have began using their voices more and more in current generations to be catalysts for change, and this article talks about why this is happening and how they are having an effect on the conversation. ]]> 2022-10-30 22:55:11 UTC https://padlet.com/emileerobb4/99v5z8jjpjayb2bc/wish/2362394299 emileerobb4 https://padlet.com/emileerobb4/99v5z8jjpjayb2bc/wish/2362399478 This spoken word poem combines the work of multiple young poets who are using their voices to amplify the issues in their community and the power of speaking out and voting. While adolescents can't yet vote, they are still able to make their voices heard just like these teenagers. Spoken word poetry is a powerful weapon of activist movements because it combines performance and the written word and emphasizes the determination and emotions past what writing on paper can do. ]]> 2022-10-30 23:06:26 UTC https://padlet.com/emileerobb4/99v5z8jjpjayb2bc/wish/2362399478 "Glory" By John Legend featuring Common emileerobb4 https://padlet.com/emileerobb4/99v5z8jjpjayb2bc/wish/2362409891 One day when the glory comes
It will be ours, it will be ours
Oh one day when the war is won
We will be sure, we will be sure
Oh glory (glory, glory)
Oh (glory, glory)

Hands to the Heavens, no man, no weapon
Formed against, yes glory is destined
Every day women and men become legends
Sins that go against our skin become blessings
The movement is a rhythm to us
Freedom is like religion to us
Justice is juxtapositionin' us
Justice for all just ain't specific enough
One son died, his spirit is revisitin' us
Truant livin' livin' in us, resistance is us
That's why Rosa sat on the bus
That's why we walk through Ferguson with our hands up
When it go down we woman and man up
They say, "Stay down", and we stand up
Shots, we on the ground, the camera panned up
King pointed to the mountain top and we ran up

One day when the glory comes
It will be ours, it will be ours
Oh one day when the war is won
We will be sure, we will be sure
Oh glory (glory, glory)
Oh (glory, glory)

Now the war is not over, victory isn't won
And we'll fight on to the finish, then when it's all done
We'll cry glory, oh glory (glory, glory)
Oh (glory, glory)
We'll cry glory, oh glory (glory, glory)
Oh (glory, glory)

Selma's now for every man, woman and child
Even Jesus got his crown in front of a crowd
They marched with the torch, we gon' run with it now
Never look back, we done gone hundreds of miles
From dark roads he rose, to become a hero
Facin' the league of justice, his power was the people
Enemy is lethal, a king became regal
Saw the face of Jim Crow under a bald eagle
The biggest weapon is to stay peaceful
We sing, our music is the cuts that we bleed through
Somewhere in the dream we had an epiphany
Now we right the wrongs in history
No one can win the war individually
It takes the wisdom of the elders and young people's energy
Welcome to the story we call victory
The comin' of the Lord, my eyes have seen the glory

One day when the glory comes
It will be ours, it will be ours
Oh one day when the war is won
We will be sure, we will be sure
Oh glory (glory, glory)
Oh (glory, glory)
Oh glory (Glory, glory)
Hey (glory, glory)

When the war is won, when it's all said and done
We'll cry glory (glory, glory)
Oh (glory, glory)

Lyrics by Che Smith / John Stephens / Lonnie Lynn

]]> 2022-10-30 23:28:08 UTC https://padlet.com/emileerobb4/99v5z8jjpjayb2bc/wish/2362409891 Works Cited emileerobb4 https://padlet.com/emileerobb4/99v5z8jjpjayb2bc/wish/2362411813 Arzola, D. (n.d.). I'm not a joke. Tumblr. Retrieved October 30, 2022, from https://nosoytuchiste.tumblr.com/

Carnegie, M. (2022, August 8). Gen Z: How young people are changing activism. BBC Worklife. Retrieved October 30, 2022, from https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20220803-gen-z-how-young-people-are-changing-activism

CommonVEVO. (2015, January 12). Common, John Legend - Glory. YouTube. Retrieved October 30, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUZOKvYcx_o&t=169s

GlobalPovertyProject. (2020, October 30). Poets explain america is best when Democracy Works | every vote counts: A celebration of democracy. YouTube. Retrieved October 30, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xv-4VMAbzCs&t=88s

XQ America. (2020, September 9). Black lives mural painted all over Oakland by students and community. YouTube. Retrieved October 30, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6zDrajyeGc&t=50s

]]> 2022-10-30 23:31:09 UTC https://padlet.com/emileerobb4/99v5z8jjpjayb2bc/wish/2362411813 Rationale emileerobb4 https://padlet.com/emileerobb4/99v5z8jjpjayb2bc/wish/2362445972 In our world today, we are surrounded by movements of activism that are working to change the society we live in. From the #MeToo Movement, to the #BlackLivesMatter Movement, to the Climate Change Movement and beyond, our generations are defined by activism and the voices that we are empowering. However, oftentimes young people don't feel that they have a say in our society because their voices aren't being heard or because they can't vote yet. This unit and linked text set works to focus on youth activism and the role the ability that it has to reshape our society. Many pieces from this set explore the concept of "What does youth activism look like?" Both the focus novel, Watch Us Rise, and the companion novel, The Hate U Give, follow teenagers as they work to stand up to systems that have been put in place to keep themselves and their communities down. While the characters in Watch Us Rise use blogging and other various media forms to empower women and their place everywhere, Starr in The Hate U Give uses her voice and the platform she has from her lived experiences to protest against violence and police brutality against the black community. Additionally, multiple pieces of the linked set are examples of youth activism through art and poetry. From Daniel Arzola's graphic design art pieces, to the spoken word poetry of the 4 young advocates for voting, to the works of the youth poet laureate Amanda Gorman, there are many different ways that activism in general can look. All of these pieces previously mentioned were created by young activists in their teens, which will hopefully open students' eyes to the voices they have now. A few of these pieces highlight the effect that youth activism can have on movements. The song Glory, sang by John Legend and Common, is about the power of activism and the hope of a better future. While the song is not directly targeting adolescents, there is a call to the power they can have in a movement. One line of the song says, "No one can with the war individually/It takes the wisdom of the elders and young people's energy". The non-fiction article shines a spotlight on a few young people who are advocating for what they are passionate about, and it mentions the abilities of this generation to use their knowledge of communication and technology to spark conversations. This article empowers young people to see the changes they can make and the impacts that they can have right now on their society. About young activists the article states , "Invested in activism for the long term, and organizing their lives around their commitments to various movements, rather than the other way around, this generation stands to make headway with their demands – provided older generations are ready to listen" (Carnegie, 2022). The Black Lives Matter Mural Video by XQ America shows another form of youth activism in which young artists are using their talents to bring to life murals that add to the conversations being had. When young people are able to see the many different faces and styles of activism, they are opened to a world in which their voice, or words, or art, or music, or anything else that they can create and use has the power to make a difference. This unit is designed to show them the opportunities they have to make that difference, and to use their voices and talents to join the conversations that have been dominated by the adults for too long. This is their world, and this is their future too. They need to have the tools and knowledge to be a part of creating and changing it. ]]> 2022-10-31 00:23:12 UTC https://padlet.com/emileerobb4/99v5z8jjpjayb2bc/wish/2362445972