From WE SHALL OVERCOME To YES WE CAN!: Our First African-American President
I. Slavery in the New World: Which Side Are You On?
II. Abolitionists & The Underground Railroad
III. The Civil War: A Moral Dilemma Tears Apart The Nation
IV. Reconstruction: From Bondage to the Ballot Box to Public Office
V. The Jim Crow Era
VI. We Shall Overcome: Brown v. The Board of Education
VII. I Have A Dream: The Civil Rights Struggle of the 1950s and 1960s
VIII. African Americans in High Places in the USA
IX. Yes We Can: Barack Obama Becomes Our First African-American President
X. Recording Session
© Shepard Fairey
I. Slavery in the New World: Which Side Are You On?
The teaching artist will sing two of the greatest songs he knows. Amazing Grace was written by John Newton in 1772. The song is about the redemption of a Transatlantic slave trader who finds his moral compass while at sea. Go Down Moses is about the freeing of the Jewish slaves in Egypt in biblical times. It was also associated with Harriet Tubman, who was known as the Black Moses because she freed 300 slaves from the South.
(Left) Scene in Whitehall Street, Atlanta, Georgia, 1864. Note building with sign reading "Auction & Negro Sales", a slave trade business. Slave auction ad (middle) On right: Scars of a whipped slave (April 2, 1863, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA. Original caption: Overseer Artayou Carrier whipped me. I was two months in bed sore from the whipping. My master come after I was whipped; he discharged the overseer. The very words of poor Peter, taken as he sat for his picture. - Wikipedia
The classes will sing the songs with the teaching artist & lead teacher and brainstorm lyric ideas.
Songs: Amazing Grace (versions by: (Mahalia Jackson – Aaron Neville); Go Down Moses (versions by: Golden Gate Quartet - Paul Robeson – Louis Armstrong).
Time: One 45 minute period.
Picture credits:
- Auction & Negro Sales (larger image) – Wikipedia
- Slave auction ad – Wikipedia
- Poor Peter (larger image) - Wikipedia
II. Abolitionists & The Underground Railroad
The teaching artist will sing these very powerful songs about slavery, resistance and escape. We will discuss John Brown, Peg Leg Joe, Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, Nat Turner and other resistance leaders.
First Image: The Official Medallion of the British Anti-Slavery Society, 1795, Josiah Wedgwood; Second Image: Quaker Handbook on Slavery (Library of Congress); Third Image: John Brown; Fourth Image: Sojourner Truth (LOC); Fifth Image: Frederick Douglass (Wikipedia except where noted)
The class will sing the songs with the teaching artist & lead teacher and brainstorm lyric ideas.
Songs: Swing Low Sweet Chariot (versions by: Etta James – Harry Belafonte); Follow The Drinking Gourd (versions by: The Weavers – Taj Mahal); John Brown’s Body, I’m On My Way To Freedom (Canaan) Land (version by Mahalia Jackson.
Time: One 45 minute period.
Wikipedia & Other Links:
- John Brown – abolitionist
- Peg Leg Joe – abolitionist (Follow The Drinking Gourd)
- Harriet Tubman – abolitionist & woman’s suffragette
- Frederick Douglass – abolitionist & reformer
- Nat Turner – led a slave rebellion
- Swing Low Sweet Chariot
- Follow The Drinking Gourd
- The Peculiar Institution – Slavery – the African-American Odyssey – Library of Congress
- THE WIDER HISTORICAL CONTEXT OF THE. ABOLITION OF THE TRANSATLANTIC SLAVE TRADE by Hakim Adi – Prometra International dot org (PDF)
Picture credits:
- Follow The Drinking Gourd
- British Anti-Slavery Emblem – Wikipedia
- Quaker Handbook on Slavery - Library of Congress
- Sojourner Truth – Library of Congress
- Frederick Douglass – Wikipedia
III. The Civil War: A Moral Dilemma Tears Apart The Nation
We will discuss the reasons that led to the war and what each side was fighting for. We will talk about Abraham Lincoln, Frederick Douglass, Jefferson Davis, the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863 which freed slaves only in Confederate area occupied by the Union, and the 13th Amendment of 1865 which abolished slavery.
Hands of all colors fought against slavery - Abraham Lincoln - Union & Confederate Soldiers - Jefferson Davis (President of Confederacy) - Hands of all colors fought to put our country back together
The classes will sing the songs with the teaching artist & lead teacher and brainstorm lyric ideas.
Songs: What Are We Fighting For? (the Civil War version of this original song), When Johnny Comes Marching Home Again (instrumental version by Fife & Drum), Dixie.
Time: One 45 minute period.
Links:
- When Johnny Comes Marching Home – Wikipedia
- When Johnny Comes Marching Home – Lyrics & Sing-a-long Music – National Institutes of Health, Department of Health & Human Services
- In Civil War, Woman Fought Fought Like A Man For Freedom – by Linda Paul – NPR
Photo Credits:
- Hands Together – Associated Content
- Abraham Lincoln – Wikipedia
- American Civil War Soldiers – Interesting Facts Blog
- Jefferson Davis – Wikipedia
Other links about the Civil War:
IV. Reconstruction: From Bondage to the Ballot Box to Public Office
John Wilkes Booth - Assassination of Lincoln at the Ford Theatre - Andrew Johnson (CLICK FOR LARGER IMAGE)
Reconstruction (1863 to 1877) focused on 3 primary issues:
-
Abolishing slavery
-
Restoring the Confederate states back into the Union
-
Establishing the rights of Freedmen (freed slaves)
We will discuss Lincoln’s assassination, and Andrew Johnson’s efforts to derail Reconstruction and the unsuccessful attempts to impeach him. During this era quite a few African Americans were elected to office. These amendments to the Constitution led to voting equality:
-
The 13th Amendment abolished slavery in 1865.
-
The 14th Amendment in 1868 guaranteed citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the USA, except Native Americans and women, and granted them civil rights.
-
The 15th Amendment in 1870 declared that the right to vote could not be denied because of race, color, or previous condition of servitude. It did not guarantee the vote however, it only prohibited specific types of discrimination while allowing the states the right to establish their own electoral policies, the Black Codes, which should disenfranchise voters.
Meanwhile, there were six-hundred and thirty-three State Legislators, two U.S. Senators, and fifteen U.S. Congressmen elected to office between 1870-1876 who were African Americans.
After the war, African Americans searched with varying degrees of success for family members separated by slave sales or by the disruptions of war. - Even as an enslaved people, African-Americans maintained strong family ties. After emancipation, African-Americans struggled to reunite families that had been disrupted by sale and many couples legalized their marriages. -Before the Civil War, slave marriages had no legal standing. - Education, denied them under slavery, was essential to the African-American understanding of freedom. - Despite the hardships of slavery, African Americans maintained a rich tradition of art and handicrafts. - Digital History
The classes will sing the songs with the teaching artist & lead teacher and brainstorm lyric ideas.
Songs: Lift Every Voice And Sing (version by Harmonizing Four).
Time: One 45 minute period.
Other links:
- America’s Reconstruction: People & Politics After the Civil War – Digital History
V. The Jim Crow Era
Jim Crow laws restricted the rights of African Americans in many states between 1876 and 1965. The Supreme Court ruled in Plessy v. Ferguson in 1896 that public places could be segregated along racial lines. The court ruled that “separate but equal” facilities were constitutional. The Ku Klux Klan became a very powerful force of intimidation in the nation.
Jim Crow cartoon - Signs from the Jim Crow Era - Lynchings - Emmett Till (killed in 1955 just for the color of his skin) - Billie Holiday (singer of Strange Fruit) - Matthew Shepard (killed in 1998 just for being gay)
The classes will sing the songs with the teaching artist & lead teacher and brainstorm lyric ideas.
Songs: Strange Fruit (version by Billie Holiday); Black And Blue; One Man, One Vote (the Jim Crow section of this original song).
Time: One 45 minute period.
Photo credits:
- Jim Crow cartoon – The History of Jim Crow (also PBS Africans in America website)
- Jim Crow era signs- Ferris State University Museum of Racist Memorabilia
- Thomas Shipp and Abram Smith, lynched in Marion, Indiana, on August 7, 1930. – Wikipedia (lynching)
- Emmett Louis “Bobo” Till (July 25, 1941 – August 28, 1955) – Wikipedia
- Billie Holiday (singer/songwriter) (born Eleanora Fagan; April 7, 1915 – July 17, 1959) – Wikipedia
- Matthew Wayne Shepard (December 1, 1976 – October 12, 1998) – Wikipedia
Other links:
VI. We Shall Overcome: Brown v. The Board of Education Integrates Public Schools in 1954
The Supreme Court ruled in a landmark case called Brown v. Board of Education that separate was inherently unequal and therefore- unconstitutional. We will learn about Thurgood Marshall and this major victory for civil rights. In 1955, Rosa Parks would defy a law that segregated buses in Montgomery, Alabama. We will learn how President Eisenhower had to call in the Arkansas National Guard and US Army troops to protect the Little Rock Nine who were trying to attend a white school there in 1957.
Rosa Parks with The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. - Little Rock Nine - Norman Rockwell's depiction of Ruby Bridges - Presidents Eisenhower & Kennedy - Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall
The classes will sing the songs with the teaching artist & lead teacher and brainstorm lyric ideas.
Songs: We Shall Overcome (version by Mahalia Jackson); Back Of The Bus (Pete Seeger); We Shall Not Be Moved.
Time: One 45 minute period.
Picture credits:
- Rosa Parks with Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King - Wikipedia
- Little Rock Nine – Wikipedia
- Norman Rockwell’s depiction of Ruby Bridges – Wikipedia
- Presidents Eisenhower & Kennedy – Wikipedia
- Justice Thurgood Marshall - Wikipedia
Links:
- We Shall Overcome – Wikipedia
- Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka 1954 – Wikipedia
VII. I Have A Dream: The Civil Rights Struggle of the 1950s and 1960s
This period was particularly chaotic in the USA with Vietnam War protests, civil rights protests, angry white backlash, and police brutality. There were church bombings and lynchings as well as the assassinations of John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, and others. Lyndon Baines Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 that outlawed segregation, and The Voting Rights Act of 1965 that guaranteed the right to vote. We will listen to the stirring words of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s most famous speech I Have A Dream. We will discuss other civil rights leaders like Rosa Parks, Fanny Lou Hamer, A. Philip Randolph, Bayard Rustin, Roy Wilkins, Whitney Young, James Farmer, John Lewis.
People at a Civil Rights protest - Malcolm X - Sen. Robert F. Kennedy - Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. - Bayard Rustin - Fannie Lou Hamer - Rep. John Lewis
The classes will sing the songs with the teaching artist & lead teacher and brainstorm lyric ideas.
Songs: Oh Freedom (alternate lyric) (version by Pete Seeger); Marching To Freedom Land; Civil Rights Story (original spoken word); One Man, One Vote (Civil Rights section of this original song).
Time: One 45 minute period.
Photo credits:
- People at a Civil Rights protest - Photo by uwdigitalcollections @ flickr of civil rights protest
- Malcolm X – Official Website of the Malcolm X Estate
- Sen. Robert F. Kennedy – Wikipedia
- Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. – US Constitution Online
- Bayard Rustin – Wikipedia
- Fannie Lou Hamer – Wikipedia
- Rep. John Lewis - Wikipedia
Other links-
- Civil Rights Movement Timeline – National Parks Service
VIII. African Americans in High Places in the USA
Jack Johnson, Joe Louis, Jesse Owens, Jackie Robinson, Louis Armstrong, Nat King Cole, Diahann Carroll, and others broke color lines early on in the struggle. Shirley Chisholm, Jesse Jackson, Carol Moseley Braun, and Al Sharpton each ran for President before Barack Obama’s election in 2008 over John McCain. Also, in 1872 Frederick Douglass became the first African American nominated as a Vice Presidential candidate on the Equal Rights Party ticket with Victoria Woodhull the first woman to run for President.Over the years, other African Americans were elected as Senators or Governors.
In 1872 Lieutenant Governor P. B. S. Pinchback of Louisiana replaced his predecessor Governor Henry Clay Warmoth when he was removed from office. Pinchback served 35 days. In 1989 Douglas Wilder of Virginia became the first African American Governor to be elected in the nation’s history. In 2006 Deval Patrick of Massachusetts became the 2nd African American Governor elected. In 2008 David Paterson of NY became the fourth African American Governor when he succeeded Eliot Spitzer who resigned in the midst of a scandal.
Top Row: Jack Johnson, Joe Louis, Jackie Robinson, Jesse Owens, Louis Armstrong; Middle Row: Nat King Cole, Jesse Jackson, Diahann Carroll, Shirley Chisholm, Carol Anne Moseley; Bottom Row: Al Sharpton, Audre Lorde, Bayard Rustin, Barbara Jordan, James Baldwin
The classes will sing the songs with the teaching artist & lead teacher and brainstorm lyric ideas.
Songs: A Change Is Gonna Come (version by Sam Cooke); Say It Out Loud (I’m Black & I’m Proud) – James Brown
Time: One 45 minute period.
Audre Lorde - James Baldwin - Bayard Rustin - Barbara Jordan - Commemorative Stamps designed by © Frank H. Jump
Photo credits-
- Jack Johnson – Wikipedia
- Joe Louis - Wikipedia
- Jesse Owens – Wikipedia
- Jackie Robinson – Wikipedia
- Louis Armstrong – Wikipedia
- Nat King Cole – Wikipedia
- Diahann Carroll – Wikipedia
- Shirley Chisholm – Wikipedia
- Jesse Jackson – Wikipedia
- Carol Moseley Braun – Wikipedia
- Al Sharpton – Wikipedia
- Audre Lorde – Wikipedia
- James Baldwin – Wikipedia
- Bayard Rustin -dot org
- Barbara Jordan – Wikipedia
IX. “Yes We Can”: Barack Obama Becomes the First African American President
Students will start to finish writing their original lyrics about President Obama, the greater historical context of his election, and the students’ own dreams for the future.
© Shepard Fairey
Songs: Whichever songs the students choose. Yes We Can Obama!
Time: Two 45 minute periods.
X. Recording Session.
The classes will record their original raps and/or lyrics using the teaching artist’s field recorder and Garageband. We will make CDs that will be given to the classes.
Michael Jackson, The Supremes, Jay-Z, Stevie Wonder, P Diddy, Tupac Shakur
Links to:
- Michael Jackson - Wikipedia
- The Supremes – Wikipedia
- Jay-Z - Wikipedia
- Stevie Wonder - Wikipedia
- Sean John Combs aka P Diddy - Wikipedia
- Tupac Shakur - Wikipedia
Other notable African-American record producers:
- Quincy Jones - Wikipedia
- Thom Bell - Wikipedia
- Berry Gordy - Wikipedia
- Isaac Hayes - Wikipedia
FUTURE RECORDING ARTISTS:
Future Recording Artists: Zarif, Christian Jayden, Madonna, Jeremiah, Jalyn
PODCASTS OF LESSONS:
- May 19, 2009: 4-310 – Abolition & Underground Railroad
- June 2, 2009: 4-310 – Jim Crow Era Part I
- June 2, 2009: 4-310 – Jim Crow Era Part II
- June 2, 2009: 4-310 – Jim Crow Era Part III
- June 2, 2009: 4-310 – Jim Crow Era Part IV
- June 2, 2009: 4-310 – Jim Crow Era Part V
- June 2, 2009: 5-301 – Jim Crow Era Part I
- June 2, 2009: 5-301 – Jim Crow Era Part II
- June 2, 2009: 5-301 – Jim Crow Era Part III
- June 2, 2009: 5-301 – Jim Crow Era Part IV
- June 2, 2009: 5-301 – Jim Crow Era Part V
- June 2, 2009: 5-301 – Jim Crow Era Part VI
- June 9, 2009: 4-310 – I Have A Dream Part I
- June 9, 2009: 4-301 – I Have A Dream Part II
- June 10, 2009: 4-310 – High Places Part I
- June 10, 2009: 4-301 – High Places Part II
YES WE CAN! In Action:
Michael - Our technology intern.
Aniyah & Sarah
Jayden
Angeles & Jessica
Therese & Jalyn
Lliam
Robert "Bluesman" Ross - Teaching Artist
Robert "Bluesman" Ross - Teaching Artist
CLICK HERE FOR FULL PROJECT NARRATIVE
Project created and written by Robert “Bluesman” Ross
This project is made possible with funds from the Local Capacity Building Initiative, a regrant program of the Arts in Education Program of the New York State Council on the Arts, administered by BRIC Arts / Media / Brooklyn and the Brooklyn Arts Council (BAC).
Project designed for blog by lead teacher, Frank H. Jump.
May 19th, 2009 at 8:40 am
Wow guys…I am impressed. Amazing. Good luck. If you need some starter couplets I am there for you. Very professional!
May 19th, 2009 at 8:41 am
Great job guys! I think you make an awesome team!
May 19th, 2009 at 1:16 pm
I am a slave,
Life is not nice.
Every slave has a price.
We were bought
They called us “Negroes.”
The option was wrong,
The masters think they were strong.
Every day we bled blood.
So we talk to the Lord.
They beat us everyday.
They talk to us the wrong way.
We ran through the woods.
They beat us to obey.
They treat us like animals.
We’ve lost our sons and daughters.
We’ve lost our fathers and mothers.
We’ve lost our sisters and brothers.
Are we not created equal?
Are we not like every other?
I am a slave.
I am a human being.
Donfred 5-301
May 19th, 2009 at 4:10 pm
Donfred- This is absolutely wonderful, touching and deeply moving. I am so looking forward to seeing what you are going to write for the next five weeks. So proud of you. Mr. Jump
May 20th, 2009 at 10:01 am
Don Fred, I would just like to piggyback off of Mr. Jump’s comment–your writing is indeed absolutely wonderful, touching and deeply moving. I can tell you are walking in the land of the slave and I can feel the pain. I do hope that High John de Conquer travels with that slave to bring him comfort in laughter.I too am proud of you. Great job Don.–Mrs. Berretta
May 26th, 2009 at 9:13 am
I pray to the Lord that
Everything’s okay
I hear and see screaming
Looking and smelling blood
Working all day
Everyday
And at night
Beatings
Almost to death
Someday I’m going to find my way
Out of here
Far away to freedom
To the Underground Railroad
One day I’m going to be free
They shall not kill me
They shall honor me
With peace and care
We sing a song saying
Let My People Go
Now it’s my time to be free
I will leave by night
And come back for others
Let my people go!
John 5-301
May 26th, 2009 at 9:24 am
I am a human being
I’m not a slave
We are being used
We are being abused
We never eat
And we get beat
We have no rights
And cannot read or write
We are human beings
Our scars will not heal
Slavery is WRONG!
I know this even though I’m young.
We are free!
But we still have fear.
When a slave died
We died with pride
We know we have rights
So we fight
The master knew it was wrong
But we stay strong!
We were whipped and chained
I am a human being
I’m NOT a slave!
Donfred 5-301
May 26th, 2009 at 10:22 am
Yes We Can
Yes We Did
I don’t like slavery
It’s bad
I think we should stop it
Before we all go mad!
That’s why you should stay in school
And always keep your cool
Don’t make the teacher shout
Just behave and don’t call out
Think your thoughts
Start thinking now
Before time runs out
Yes, we did it.
Oh yes we did!
Matthew 4-310
May 26th, 2009 at 10:27 am
Yes we can!
Save the globe
Then we can go through
The Underground Railroad
Now look at our present
Now we have an African-American President!
Harriet was a crafty slave
Look at how many people she saved
This is our most historic rap ever done
Until the arising sun.
Kevon 4-310
May 27th, 2009 at 10:03 am
Yes we can!
At PS 119 We like to build peace
Yes we will!
You should come to this school
Don’t stay in the streets
Yes we did!
You should find a friend and be kind to them
You should think in your head
Grab a pen
Take a piece of paper
And write down your thoughts
About when we went to war
And the South had lost
That’s when we ended our holocaust
Peace, peace, peace -
Come and build some
Peace, peace, peace -
Come and build some-
Our teacher is Ms LaRossa
And she is very nice
She always taught us
To never ever fight
That’s why we don’t
That’s why we wrote
Peace, peace, peace -
Come and build some
Peace, peace, peace -
Come and build some
WORD!
PEACE!
by Jeremiah & Matthew 4-310
May 27th, 2009 at 10:23 am
Yes we can
Yes we did
We can do it
And so we did
Before we had slavery
And now it has ended
Now we are free
To do what we need
Honest Abe got shot
In the back of the head
Andrew Johnson replaced him
We still had to be lead
Then the song
Lift Evry Voice & Sing
Was made
Maya 4-310
May 27th, 2009 at 10:31 am
PARKING LOT:
1) Which Caribbean Island nation first rid themselves of slavery?
2) What happened to John Wilkes Booth after he was captured?
3) How many slaves were there in the US? How many in the North? How many in the South?
4) How many states were in the Union and Confederacy?
5) How many people were living in the US States and Territories then?
6) Did Andrew Johnson own slaves?
May 27th, 2009 at 11:17 am
I am a slave
I do not like my job
They call us dogs and we sob
I am whiped and chained
I think things will all ways be the same
I will get out of here some day
But now I must pray
Wisley 5-301
May 27th, 2009 at 11:24 am
If I will die
As a slave
I die proud
I won’t die mad
I am not sad
I did my part
Through sweat
Through tears
Through scars
Through fear
I am a slave
I am still here
Elijah 5-301
May 27th, 2009 at 11:27 am
I am a slave
I need my rights
I need to be free
My back has bruises
From my master’s abuses
I work all day
For no pay
When will we end slavery?
George 5-301
May 27th, 2009 at 11:31 am
I thought all men were created equal?
Then why am I in chains?
I thought I had inalienable rights
If I die today
I die with pride
Just knowing that fact that all men were not created equal
And if I live
Can I see the day
When slavery ends?
Tyreek 5-301
May 27th, 2009 at 10:32 pm
All of you students are just lighting it up! You’re off the charts! Fantabulous work!! Spectastic work!!
Uh, I think some of my words got jumbled there. I like to do that sometimes. But, you know how much I love your work. And that’s what’s important.
See you Monday.
Bluesman
May 27th, 2009 at 10:34 pm
One more thing. Here’s my revised lyric to that Civil War song I wrote. I hope you dig it.
WHAT ARE WE FIGHTING FOR? (about the Civil War)
By Robert Ross 6/22/04 – 5/26/09
Verse 1
WHAT CAUSED THE CIVIL WAR
WHAT WERE WE FIGHTING FOR?
TO PRESERVE THE UNION STRONG
TO ABOLISH SLAVERY WRONG
BUT ELEVEN CHOSE TO FIGHT
AS IF OWNING SLAVES WAS THEIR RIGHT
Verse 2
BROTHERS FOUGHT AND KILLED AND DIED
FOR VICTORY HONOR AND PRIDE
THE HONOR OF SLAVERY
THE PRIDE OF MASTERY
FOR THEIR OWN FINANCIAL GAIN
THEY WOULD USE THE WHIP AND CHAIN
Chorus
TELL ME PLEASE WHAT ARE WE FIGHTING FOR?
TELL ME PLEASE WHAT ARE WE DYING FOR?
TELL ME PLEASE WHAT ARE WE FIGHTING FOR?
Verse 3
TO BE FAIR AND TO BE TRUE
THE NORTH ONCE HAD SLAVERY TOO
SLAVE SHIPS HAD TO USE THEIR DOCKS
THEY SOLD SLAVES ON AUCTION BLOCKS
AND SLAVE LABOR KEPT PRICES LOW
SO UNION PROFITS COULD FLOW
Verse 4
THEY CALLED IT THE LAND OF THE FREE
AND THE LAND OF OPPORTUNITY
THEY SPOKE OF FREE AND EQUAL MEN
FREE TO BE OWNED BY A PRESIDENT
THE WHITE HOUSE WAS BUILT IN WASHINGTON
AND SLAVERY WAS HOW IT GOT DONE
Chorus
TELL ME PLEASE WHAT ARE WE FIGHTING FOR?
TELL ME PLEASE WHAT ARE WE DYING FOR?
TELL ME PLEASE WHAT ARE WE FIGHTING FOR?
June 3rd, 2009 at 10:30 am
The best place to go is PS 119
We will give you a dream
Slavery is uncool
We have to get more peace tools
We have to reconstruct
Or else we will be completely stuck
Now that we’re together
We will make things better
No more wars
We can open doors
If we open doors
We will give you more
That’s PS119
That’s our dream
Lliam & Kevon 4-310
June 3rd, 2009 at 10:35 am
Yes we can
Yes we did
Our man ran
On he we bid
Finally we have an African-American President!
To show the Confederacy we have a present
I am black and I have a right
Now the blacks have a lot of might
The Confederacy would be mad
All I know is slavery is bad
Yes we can
Yes we did
Our man ran
On he we bid!
Jayden 4-310
June 3rd, 2009 at 10:38 am
This is a sad story
Segregation was not necessary
They killed Emmett Till
Just for whistling at a white lady
He lost his life which was not fair
He was visiting his grandma
But the killers didn’t care
Justin & Tyrel 4-310
June 3rd, 2009 at 10:42 am
Obama is the President
McCain went through the door
Obama wanted to make gas prices
As low as $1.94
The first half black president elected
He’s figuring out what to do
But thank god he went to school
We’re at PS119
Coming fresh and clean
Justin & Tyrel 4-310
June 3rd, 2009 at 11:25 am
A year ago my life collapsed around me
I’d work until exhaustion
Or until my toes would really bleed
Little did I know at the time
Out of my greatest despair
Was to come the greatest gift I’d ever been given
A glimpse of a great secret
The secret to life
One by one
The secret began to emerge
I became a magnet
As I began to search one great living master
After another was drawn to me
I am not a slave
I am me.
Elijah 5-301
June 3rd, 2009 at 11:30 am
Many times I wonder
Why I live on Earth
With dangerous weapons of mass destruction
I wonder why peace is not here yet
I don’t feel or hear anything
Wait
I do
I hear and feel
The world is slowly rotting away
Tyreek 5-301
June 3rd, 2009 at 11:31 am
Why can’t I learn?
Why can’t I go to school?
Just because white people don’t like me
When will this stop?
Leave me alone
Somebody stop this mess.
George 5-301
June 3rd, 2009 at 11:33 am
I am a slave
Why do I get beaten?
Abolish slavery!
Abolish slavery!
Please, I hate being a slave
I work all the time
Bleeding
Crying
Sweating
Stop slavery
I am me.
Brian 5-301
June 7th, 2009 at 10:47 am
I am not a slave
I am free
I’m not part of slavery
Slavery does not have me
I am free!
Wisley 5-301
June 7th, 2009 at 10:49 am
When I went to school
Whites were staring at me
Because I’m black
I wanted freedom
Blacks should be mixed
With Whites in the same schools
Keep staring because
I’m still here
Blacks and whites need
To be brought together
Raymond 5-301
June 8th, 2009 at 6:22 pm
wisley your witing is amazing from your friend
June 8th, 2009 at 10:48 pm
Yes Wisley! Your writing is amazing and so is yours Raymond, Elijah, Brian, George, Tyreek, & Donfred! I’m proud of the Gentlemen’s Class’s incredible work!
Kudo’s to Ms. LaRossa’s class as well. Justin, Tyrel, Jayden, Lliam, Kevon, Jeremiah, & Matthew… I’m speechless.
June 9th, 2009 at 9:29 am
I am not a slave
I have a heart
You will never take away
I have hope
You will never take away
I have freedom
You will never take away
I am not a slave
Donfreindy 5-301
June 9th, 2009 at 9:39 am
Everybody! Let’s go! Let’s go!
To the Underground Railroad
No. NO! HERE!
To the North. Wow!
It’s so nice here.
It is, but we are not there.
We’re near
Don’t fear
We got there!
Finally a new year.
No more whipping
No more scars
More and more freedom
We finally got there.
We are here.
Zarif 4-310
June 9th, 2009 at 9:54 am
Peace is quiet
No more riots
Obama is president
He doesn’t like the Confederates
PS119 is the best
Rosa Parks confessed
Stay in school
So in the summer
You can be in the pool
Frederick Douglass was trained
And slavery stopped way before
Obama came
We love God
We love Obama
Matthew & Lliam 4-310
June 10th, 2009 at 10:44 am
Yes we are 119
We rule peace
We rule these streets through peace
You can’t beat me
Cause I’m at PS 119
Obama was elected President
I saw it on TV
I saw it and so did PS 119
This is PS 119
You can’t beat me
I’m bright like the sun
When I come
You will be done
You don’t know me
When people come to fight me
I’m about peace
I’m about PS 119
Fannie Lou Hamer got beat
Thank God she stood on her feet
She said “I’m sick and tired of being
Sick and tired”
She said that she was on fire
I’m bright like the sun
When I come
You will be done
You don’t know me
When people come to fight me
I’m about peace
I’m about PS 119
Yes we are 119
We rule peace
We rule these streets through peace
You can’t beat me
Cause I’m at PS 119
Justin & Matthew 4-310
June 10th, 2009 at 10:17 pm
I am black and proud
To be myself
You can beat me
Kill me
I’m always going to be black
Everyday and every night
I am black
And proud
John 5-301
June 10th, 2009 at 10:22 pm
I was a slave
Knowing it until my grave
We got beat
We hardly eat
I am on my knees
And always bleed
We were born
We picked corn
We were picked and bought
And died
People don’t like us
We had to sit in the back of the bus
Donfred 5-301
June 16th, 2009 at 9:32 am
Obama is the man
Yes he can
Come and see the Bluezman
And listen to him jam
He teaches us a lot
About our history
And what we’ve got
From the people who fought for freedom
It ain’t no mystery
Obama rocks the White House
And rules as President
I wish he’d come to my house
And be my resident
Ashanie, Sarah, Madonna & Therese 4-310
June 16th, 2009 at 9:33 am
I knew the 4-310 Girlz would represent!
June 16th, 2009 at 4:32 pm
You might get amnesia Because he lived in Indonesia It’s barack obama I gotta get my mama He also lived in Chicago Then he went to mexico to get some nachos Thats a rap from 4-310’s Christian & Kevon
June 17th, 2009 at 11:18 am
I was held down
And beat to my knees
My master would say
I’d never see the light of day
He pushed me into a dark room
Locked the door and threw away the key
I started to cry and thirteen times he lashed me
Then I took all my clothes
And stole away to Freedom land
And followed my way to the North
John 5-301
June 17th, 2009 at 11:26 am
I need my freedom land
I am poor without a hand
Nobody wants to let me go
They never think I will ever know
I hope I get a chance
They never make people
Have the right to dance
They want to separate us
They don’t think we have trust
They don’t give us equal rights
That’s why we always gotta fight
They think we gonna leave
They don’t think we will achieve
Yes we can
Yes we will
Yes we did
Mark & Akeil 5-301