The officers opened fire.

The sharecroppers inside the church rushed to find safety.

“Bullets just kept raining through the house.”

White law officer W.A Adkins was dead.

The town was under siege, the mayor claimed, by rioting Black Americans.

Nothing could have been further from the truth.

White men from other states crossed the Mississippi River with loaded guns.

They joined local posses and tore through the area

Searching for Black men, women, and children- and shooting them.

Newspapers wrote that nineteen African Americans were killed

Burials would climb to more than two hundred

Local journalist claimed the death toll was closer to nine hundred

We’ll never know the exact number, except for the white deaths.

The men considered the most dangerous and responsible for the deaths

Of the white men were locked up.

                     Stop Talking!

Stay Home - Go to Work - Don’t Worry!



This poem is about the Elaine Massacre. Two white law officers opened fire on the Hoop Spur Church. The people who had died in the church were not mentioned, but the death of one of the white officers was in the news. Hundreds of white men traveled from other states with guns and even axes which led to the Elaine Massacre. The number of deaths in total is unknown, except for the five white deaths that were counted. The men considered most dangerous and responsible were arrested, tried, and sentenced with the death penalty. The Committee of Seven who had decided their fates put up a bulletin that said, “Stop Talking! Stay Home - Go to Work - Don’t Worry!”

led a crusade for justice

to seek a great perhaps

her passionate commitment

witnessing every march and milestone along the way

building a movement

her true calling

a  people with problems

a leader

Her fire burned brighter than the fire around her

never quiet

never silent

I wrote this poem about Dorothy Height because she’s a big inspiration, but before this I had never heard of her. The deeper meaning of the poem is that Dorothy was never quiet about challenges that she faced and she was always working towards justice and equality.  Dorothy was really passionate about equality and she made sure that she was watching and participating in everything she could. She is known as the ‘godmother of civil rights’ a name given to her when she passed away by President Barack Obama. Dorothy Height worked together with figures like Dr Martin Luther King Jr, she helped to build a movement. She was also the leader of multiple organizations, such as The National Council of Negro Women (NCNW). Dorothy Height is a big inspiration to many people and it’s important that she is remembered for her big commitments and contributions to the social justice movement.

Clouds of dread engulfed me every evening when day turned to night.

What about the joy of being a baby, about dolls and teddy bears?

It was during these times that the world seemed perfect to me.

The color of my skin framed the entire scope of my life.

In order to stay safe, I always wanted to stay home.

I had to go outside to use the bathroom, no matter what the weather was.

Why? What have we done to deserve this treatment?

If white strangers doing business came along the road during daylight, we were warned not to talk to them. 

After storytime, though, huge fears took me over.

The deeper meaning of this poem is the way some people really felt. They were physically scared to leave their own home, just to go outside. And, there was nothing they could do to change that. The kids weren’t even able to play with dolls or toys anymore, because everything had been ruined for them. I want to create words that make people feel and understand, and not just for them to read for fun. I find it disturbing how they weren’t even able to say a simple “hello” if they saw a white person in the area. It wasn’t fair. It isn’t fair. And that needs to be known and will keep being shared until it is. No one, no human, should be afraid to walk outside, no matter the circumstances. Especially not a little girl who just wants to experience growing up just like anyone else would.

In one sense, I don’t mind it at all.  I am proud to have been a wife, a single parent, a leader.  But I am more than a label.  

I am also Coretta.

In this memoir, I hope you somehow see her.

I used to look in the mirror and ponder why I had been put on this planet.

As my life unfolded, I saw a pattern.  My value system strengthened through pain and sacrifice, and I came to understand what I was made of.

Did Martin ever understand how deep my calling was?  I don’t think so.

Once, he blurted out “You see, I am called and you are not.”  I said to him, “You know I have always felt a call on my life too.”

The Mrs. King you might’ve heard about cares about thousands around the world, and thousands yet unborn; Coretta cares about people, one person at a time.

Through these struggles and these learnings, I hope you will see Coretta.

It is the time to share the story that I have wanted to tell for so long.  

Back then, I thought the story had to be about Martin.

Now I am turning the page.

Now I think it is time you know Coretta.

With this poem, I was trying to show Coretta’s feelings with how she viewed herself.  She was aware that everyone knew more about her husband than herself.  She was always okay with that, though she still felt she had the right to speak.  One thing she was not okay with was not being able to have her own identity.  Everyone considered her “Martin’s wife.”  With the quotes taken from her biographies and her book My life, my love, my legacy, she was able to show her side of the story.  This allowed people to consider her as her own person with her own hardships.  She wasn’t just the person she showed to the public, and neither was her husband.

To me, God loved everyone. Why would He just curse us?

For some reason we seemed to hate ourselves.

Blacks knew that no white man accused of a similar crime against a black woman would be convicted at all, let alone sentenced to die.

I was tired of adults complaining about how badly they were treated and not doing anything about it.

When my moment came, I was ready.

Early in life, I had learned that if you want something, you had better make some noise.

I had stood up to a white bus driver and two white cops.

But worried or not, I felt proud. I stood up for our rights.

“Claudette,” he said, “I’m so proud of you. Everyone prays for freedom. We’ve all been praying and praying. But you’re different-you want your answer the next morning. And I think you just brought the revolution to Montgomery.”

When I look back now, I think Rosa Parks was the right person to represent the movement at the time

But I made a personal statement, too, one that she didn’t make and probably couldn’t have made.

 Described as a "fighter, and a courageous, no-nonsense, hard worker who never shirked an assignment

she had common sense, patience, courtesy, and a broad sympathy for human suffering

graduated from Wellesley in 1928

only African American in her class

one of only three women

yet was the first African-American woman to graduate from Yale Law School

was appointed as justice of the Domestic Relations Court of New York… on July 22, 1939

her biggest job was to educate private employers to give African Americans jobs without discrimination

She made sure that race played no role in cases

remained on the bench for over forty years

received honorary LL.D. degrees from Williams College, Morgan State College, and more

Jane Bolin became the first African-American female judge in the United States

Jane Bolin is someone that is never talked about, but also created history and was an inspirational role model. She surpassed expectations, graduating high school early, graduating college, and graduating from Yale Law School, the first African American Woman to do so. Through all her challenges in life, she succeeded, helping other African Americans in New York in the protection, education, etc that they needed yet weren’t receiving. There are people just like her that have not been recognized or celebrated as much as others, even if they had similar achievements. I decided to write my poem about her to give her a spotlight for her accomplishments. 

As a civil rights leader, Baptist minister, and politician,

Jesse Louis Jackson has provided hope and inspiration for countless Americans.

He founded Operation PUSH (People United to Save Humanity).

He said, “We must all learn a good lesson - how to live together,”

And “It gets dark sometimes, but the morning comes.”

In 1983, Jackson announced his intention to run for president,

And inspired many people to consider the possibility of a black president for the first time.

Even those hostile to the United States respected Jackson as a man of principle.

In 2000, President Clinton awarded Jackson the Medal of Freedom.

The “deeper meaning” of this poem is that if you are truly a principled person, you can achieve great things, even in times of difficulty, as mentioned in his quote, “It gets dark sometimes, but the morning comes.”  I chose most of the lines because they were both informative and inspirational, and the quotes because they hold a particular meaning while being inspirational.

Who has not, by the age of puberty, been irreparably scarred by the conditions of his life.

To find a way other than violence to strike bigotry and racism 

The world of books became James’s chief refuge

The Ku Klux Klan lit fiery crosses in the southern sky

Familiar with the various factors

But the most dangerous creation of any society is a man who has nothing to lose

A slightly built boy with a wide mouth and large eyes

 indeed became a writer; so far so good; now must go the distance 

Although a rising in black militancy was already beginning to transform America, the answer to the country’s problems did not lie in black separatism.

2
The deeper meaning of this poem Is to set the scene on how he came to be James Baldwin. It talks about how what was going on in America shaped him and how he was vulnerable to his surroundings.

Black women put themselves in the line of fire all over again

Black women were an essential part of the movement

Black women knew more than anyone the impact of slavery

Black women were segregated

When would this segregation stop?

When would be the day that woman became president?

The battle for the ballot box had just started

Happiness vibrated through the air

Lifting as we climb 

My poem is honoring the NACW organization because I think they aren’t as well known as they should be. The people a part of this association fought for the rights of colored women. Since back in the day when people had finally given Black people the right to vote they would only let Black men vote but not Black women. This was unfair so their organization would go on protests so they could be given the right to vote. This organization had a huge impact because now women have the right to vote and this wouldn’t have been achieved if it wasn’t for everyone in this organization. Every line explains what black women went through and how they felt during these moments.

braving a distance of 90 miles

she proved to be brave and resilient in the face of misfortune.

setting a powerful example

She guided more than 300 people

her individual safety wasn’t enough

each journey and every person mattered

even though there was a bounty for her capture

even though her husband left her

she made tremendous efforts to rescue her family and friends.

she displayed extraordinary courage, persistence, and iron discipline

she had no plans to remain in bondage

her services are too valuable to lose

she made it her mission to rescue her family and others

This poem is about Harriet Tubman. I chose her because while I know what made her famous, I didn't know much beyond the basic details. While writing this poem, I tried to capture the feeling of all the hardships she faced in her life while still showcasing how she persisted through them and eventually succeeded in her goal.  It really shows that despite what one may face, they can really overcome it and succeed.

They don’t frighten me at all.

You may trod me in the very dirt 

But we are more alike, my friends, than we are unalike.

No, nobody 

Can make it out here alone. 

We were entwined in red rings

Of blood and loneliness before 

Give me your hand 

I know that with each other we can make ourselves whole.

The meaning of this poem is that we as humans can continuously push each other away and belittle others with our words but, no one can survive in this world without making friends. Due to trauma, anger, ignorance, and a variety of other emotions, we may try to surround ourselves with darkness and loneliness because we believe that no one else knows what we are going through. However, that's not true. This sentiment of being more alike than one might think is relayed in the line "but we are more alike, my friends, than we are unalike.". This expresses to people that together we are stronger and that no one is ever truly alone in their struggles or suffering.

How is the black man going to get “civil rights” before he first wins his human rights

As long as we stay in these conditions we will keep on begging him and he will control us.

We never can win freedom and justice and equality until we are doing something for ourselves.

In the ghettos the white man has built for us, he has forced us not to aspire to greater things, but to view everyday living as survival

All of us-who might have probed space, or cured cancer, or built industries-we're, instead, black victims of the white man’s American social system

Why, when all of my ancestors are snake-bitten, and I’m snake-bitten, and I warn my children to avoid snakes, what does the snake sound like accusing me of hate-teaching

For the white man to ask the black man if he hates him is just like rapist asking the raped, or the wolf asking the sheep, ‘Do you hate me

Do you know why the white man really hates you? It's because every time he sees your face, he sees a mirror of his crime-and his guilty conscience and can't bear to face it

It is a miracle that 22 million black people have not risen up against their oppressors-in which they would have been justified by all moral criteria

Four hundred years the white man has had his foot-long knife in the black man's back

Now the white man starts to wiggle the knife out, maybe six inches

The black mans supposed to be grateful 

Why? if the white man jerked the knife out, it's still going to leave a scar

I chose these lines from the poem because I really wanted to emphasize the hate Malcolm had for America in the time. Personally, I find that a lot of the time schools don't make a good point of showing how horrible life was for African-Americans in those times and reading Malcolm's Autobiography really gave me a lot of insight and this poem was meant to share that. For some background knowledge as to why he felt that way, when he was 5 his father was murdered by a White terrosits organization known as the Black Legion. After his father died he moved into a foster home and went to school with white kids and a teacher. While in this school his teacher asked him what he wanted to be and when he answered back saying lawyer, his teacher called him the n-word and said he could never be that successful and should pursue carpenting instead. Another example of Malcolm facing discrimination later in life was being sentenced 10 years in prison for breaking and entering, and robbery. Obviously what he did was horrible but the two white women who he commited the crime with received a far lighter sentence. If this wasn't enough to make him hate the world he was put in while in prison he discovered the atrocities of slavery. That means he was 20 years old when he first learned about slavery, 20. This just shows how much society in that time was made for people like him to fail to the point where they would not even teach him what his very own grandmother most likely went through. Henceforth, this poem was meant to represent that hatred that was bred inside the Black people of that time after all of the atrocities above and many others. 

Not only were trains segregated, but also buses, schools, baseball parks, and playgrounds. 

Oppressed so hard they could not stand

Let my people go

It is a voice in which deep bells ring

No more auction block for me

No man carried himself with greater pride

Singing released his deepest feelings

Nobody knows my sorrow

Refusal to remain in bondage

I chose these lines for my poem because they represent how you shouldn’t let what other people think about you impact your life and your passions. What I like about this poem is that it talks about how he wishes that all people were treated equally. Instead of staying home and doing nothing about it, he uses his amazing voice and acting skills to get the message across. He has gone through so much in his life such as his mother dying at an early age. So singing really helped try to make peace with the world and show people that everyone is special no matter how they look. 

An emancipated woman, taking her life in her hands, in a country of which she doesn’t even speak the language.

She was that kind of fantasy: not the Black body of an American woman but of an African woman.

Labeled a communist and banned from her homeland for a decade. 

Her show, embodying the colonial time’s racist stereotypes about African women.

Caused both condemnation and celebration.

She was that kind of fantasy: not the Black body of an American woman but of an African woman.

Back in France, she adopted 12 children from all over the world, creating a “rainbow tribe” to embody her ideal of “universal fraternity.”

She was that kind of fantasy: not the Black body of an American woman but of an African woman.

It is not only excellence in a field of competence, it is really the question of commitment, commitment to others.

She was that kind of fantasy: not the Black body of an American woman but of an African woman.


I chose these lines to represent the antithesis of being a black woman. At one moment you can be admired, idealized, and adored and the next butchered, hated, and criticized. Regardless of age, representations of black women in the media, in literature, in art, and in music have the power to dehumanize and debilitate. Considering younger generations consume more media than their predecessors, the viewing audience for shows that portray black women in a negative manner is greater and more accessible now. Predators exploit black women because our society, both then and now, regards them as being more mature and less innocent than their white counterparts. This is often misconceived as awe and admiration. On the other hand, I also wanted to portray black excellence and how the black community's tremendous achievements can help to reconceptualize harmful perceptions regarding the race.

Founded The Chicago Defender

The son of slaves

took it upon himself to lay out the welcome mat for the millions of blacks

He gave voice to the voiceless

Abbott and The Defender turned their attention to other issues afflicting blacks

“No greater glory, no greater honor, is the lot of man departing than a feeling possessed deep in his heart that the world is a better place for his having lived”

February 29, 1940

He gave voice to the voiceless

I chose these lines to create this poem because I believe they highlight what he did during his life that helped his people. The Chicago Defender is what helped him spread his words all the way to the South so he could tell them to run away to the North where they could be free. I included a quote that he is remembered by as well because it gives you an idea of his morals as a human being and I think that’s very important to take note of. The date included in this poem is his date of death. The repeated line is the line that resonated with me while I read through the article so while I was putting this poem together I decided to include this line more than once to give off a similar effect. His newspaper is what gave everyone around him information about what was going on and it helped many people of color know where to go to escape life in the South. He gave voice to the voiceless.

Perhaps the most influential women in the Civil Rights Movement.

Regularly challenged what she saw as unfair and discriminatory policies

Frustrated by what she saw as their hierarchical attitudes 

Opposing injustice and racism

Baker quickly proved to be a valuable organizer 

Her organizational skills 

Her intellectual and literary interests 

Eloquence and determination

Perhaps the most influential woman in the Civil Rights Movement.

I chose these lines for my poem because I think they are a good summary of what Ella Baker did in her life to help the civil rights movement. A lot of what she did was helping behind the scenes. She helped organize important events and participated a lot in the civil rights movements using her intelligence, eloquence, determination, and other skills like I said in the poem. She was very important to the movement but not really talked about, so I wanted to use this poem to highlight her accomplishments and how much she helped the civil rights movement.