Tuesday, July 20, 2021

Day 1 - Pantoum Poems and the Liberty Bell

 Hello Project Write friends, family and fans!


We kicked off our 2021 summer camp today with a virtual visit to the Liberty Bell and a Pantoum Poem activity. A pantoum poem is a type of found poem. In our case, students blended lines they heard during their virtual tour in the Liberty Bell Center with phrases and comments they "overheard" by reading excerpts of digital discourse from the Twitter feeds of multiple news sites discussing federal recognition of the Juneteenth holiday. The 'found' lines were then arranged into 4-stanza poems following a specific set of guidelines. Check out our writers' work and I think you'll agree that they created some powerful pieces!

Nicole Gilbert

Just what is needed. Another federal holiday.
Is the Juneteenth holiday about the end of slavery or just another way for government officials to get another day off?
If so, how do we celebrate? Hallmark cards, barbeques?
Symbolism over substance maybe, I just hope that the holiday won’t become meaningless, we must not forget our history, black history is American History.

Is the Juneteenth holiday about the end of slavery or just another way for government officials to get another day off?
How about reparations for American descendants of the enslaved Now, How about laws that protect African-Americans from hate crimes Now?
Symbolism over substance maybe, I just hope that the holiday won’t become meaningless, we must not forget our history, black history is American History.
Proclaim liberty throughout the land and to all the inhabitants thereof.

How about reparations for American descendants of the enslaved Now, How about laws that protect African-Americans from hate crimes Now?
We have to teach this and face the ugliness of what I believe we’ve been too ashamed to talk. We cannot turn our back on the truth.
Proclaim liberty throughout the land and to all the inhabitants thereof.
The white man will try to satisfy us with symbolic victories rather than economic equity and real justice.

We have to teach this and face the ugliness of what I believe we’ve been too ashamed to talk. We cannot turn our back on the truth.
Symbolism over substance maybe, I just hope that the holiday won’t become meaningless, we must not forget our history, black history is American History.
The white man will try to satisfy us with symbolic victories rather than economic equity and real justice.
Just what is needed. Another federal holiday.

Thomas Han

Liberty 
Proclaim liberty throughout the land and to all the inhabitants thereof. 
Black history is American history. 
Now let’s get the voting rights bill passed. 
We cannot turn our backs on the truth. 

Black history is American history. 
Slowly but surely, history will once again repeat itself. 
We cannot turn our backs on the truth. 
Republicans freed the slaves but Democrats made it a holiday. 

Slowly but surely history will once again repeat itself. 
Save Democracy! 
Republicans freed the slaves but Democrats made it a holiday. 
I hope we get more justice than a new holiday. 

Save Democracy! 
Now let’s get the voting rights bill passed.
I hope we get more justice than a new holiday. 
Proclaim liberty throughout the land and to all the inhabitants thereof.

Betsy Okrent

BLACK history is AMERICAN history
we continue not to acknowledge all of history
the white man will try to satisfy us with symbolic victories
symbolism should have been done a long time ago

we continue not to acknowledge all of history
but what does liberty mean to you?
symbolism should have been done a long time ago
proclaim liberty throughout all the land

but what does liberty mean to you?
we cannot turn our back on the truth
proclaim liberty throughout all the land
really

we cannot turn our back on the truth
the white man will try to satisfy us with symbolic victories
really
BLACK history is AMERICAN history

Hanqi (Carrie) Shang

A great day.

Heartwarming, really.

Liberty throughout the land!

Symbolism over sustenance?

 

Heartwarmingreally?

Empty gesture.

Symbolism over sustenance.

Another holiday for government workers.

 

Empty gesture.

We cannot turn our back on the truth:

another holiday for government workers.

How about a day that all inequality and injustice came to an end?

 

We cannot turn our back on the truth:

liberty throughout the land!

How about a day that all inequality and injustice came to an end!

A great day.


Roshini Govindasamy


Liberty, Kind Of


Proclaim liberty throughout the land and to all the inhabitants thereof
Liberty belongs to everyone.
And freedom is different from person to person
How about a day that all inequality and injustice came to an end?
 
Liberty is for everyone
Juneteenth.
How about a day that all inequality and injustice came to an end?
Heartwarming, really.
 
Juneteenth.
The white will try to satisfy us with symbolic victories.
Heartwarming, really.
Rather than economic equity and real justice.
 
The white will try to satisfy us with symbolic victories.
And freedom is different from person to person
Rather than economic equity and real justice.
Proclaim liberty throughout the land and to all the inhabitants thereof

Serena Bui

The liberty bell belongs to everyone.

“A great day for all Americans to celebrate, the day that finally ended slavery in the United States.”

“So when do caucasians get their national holiday or month?”

Proclaim liberty throughout the land and to all inhabitants thereof.


“A great day for all Americans to celebrate, the day that finally ended slavery in the United States”

“It is a day when a bunch of white people moan and whine”.

Proclaim liberty throughout the land and to all the inhabitants thereof.

“As long as it’s a day off, Im ok with it.”


“ It is a day when a bunch of white people moan and whine.”

“Why would Republicians vote NO on celebrating the fact that Republicians abolished slavery?”

“As long as it’s a day off, I’m ok with it.”

“Heartwarming, really.”


“Why would Republicians vote NO on celebrating the fact that Republicians abolished slavery?”

“So when do Caucasians get their national holiday or history month?”

“Heartwarming, really.”

The liberty bell belongs to everyone.


4 comments:

  1. Hi Everyone;
    I very much enjoyed reading everyone`s Pantoum Poems about the Juneteenth Holiday, and I each Poem was very effective in its ability to capture the varying opinions about the Holiday. I keep playing in mind, such lines as "Proclaim Liberty throughout the Land Unto all The Inhabitants therof" or "We must not forget our History, Black History is American History" or " Symbolism over substance" I cannot wait for the opportunity to read more of your work this Summer.

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  2. These are all so well crafted! Nicole - I especially like the placement of your "Proclaim liberty" line. It reminds me of how the abolitionists used the phrase. Thomas - that last stanza is powerful! Betsy - I like the repetition of "we continue" and "we cannot." Carrie - changing the period to a question mark with "Heartwarming...really" is great. Roshini - that first stanza is strong! Serena - I like your choice of opening/closing line.

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  3. Hi Betsy,
    I like the emphasis that you put on the first and last lines. When learning history, people tend to overlook or outright ignore parts of history that are actually quite crucial and I like that your poem focuses on how it's important we don't do that.
    --Carrie

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    Replies
    1. Thank you so much!
      I'm obsessed with the way you changed the punctuation at the end of different lines, that turned out so cool!
      -Betsy

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