The Legacy of Black Poets Teaching and Educating the Masses
Throughout time, Black poets have inspired the masses. How have they served as shining examples in the realm of education and poetry arts?
Salute to all of the Black poets whose legacies in poetry and community service, remind us of the impact and influence they hold in education and cultural arts. Creative writing may not be a required academic subject in most public schools, but as a former public-school teacher and teaching artist in various schools, I have witnessed the power that poetry and writing holds when students are able to express their thoughts and write poems to share with others. There are a number of poets whose brilliant writing has merged with their practice as educators and mentors.
My reflection begins with the late and notable Black poet, June Jordan. An essayist, poet, and playwright, June Jordan’s writings discussed topics ranging from racial inequality to identity, to family and politics. Her books include Some Changes (1971), Living Room (1985) and Kissing God Goodbye: Poems 1991–1997 (1997). Born in 1936 in Harlem, June Jordan was a professor at UC Berkely, and founded Poetry for the People, a poetry program in the Bay area created to educate the masses and inspire youth and adults through poetry arts. Poetry for the People program principles:
1. That students will not take themselves seriously unless we who teach them, honor and respect them in every practical way that we can.
2. That words can change the world and save our lives.
3. That poetry is the highest art and the most exacting service devoted to our most serious, and our most imaginative, deployment of verbs and nouns on behalf of whatever and whoever we cherish.
Poetry for the People is still offered today, with a focus on reading, writing, and poetry, to bridge the gap between the university and the larger community.
Leading poet, award winning author, publisher, editor, keynote, and professor, Dr. Haki R. Madhubuti, legendary founder of Third World Press in Chicago (now Third World Press Foundation), Distinguished University Professor, iconic member of the Black Arts Movement, and author of over 36 books, has taught at esteemed universities and given lectures at many institutions, arts venues, and conferences. Dr. Madhubuti’s 1991 book, Black Men: Obsolete, Single, Dangerous? The African American Family in Transition (1991), sold more than 100,000 copies. Dr. Madhubuti is a founder of the Institute of Positive Education/New Concept School (1969), and a cofounder of Betty Shabazz International Charter School (1998), Barbara A. Sizemore Middle School (2005), and DuSable Leadership Academy (2005), all of which are in Chicago. Dr. Madhubuti has mentored many Black poets seeking publishing, higher education, and careers. He founded the Gwendolyn Brooks Center at Chicago State University, which produces the annual Gwendolyn Brooks Black Writers’ Conference.
Philadelphia’s first Poet Laureate, Dr. Sonia Sanchez, began as an educator in NYC teaching 5th grade students at Downtown Community School. Dr. Sanchez has taught and lectured at over 500 colleges and universities in the United States. She held the Laura Carnell Chair in English, is a Professor Emeritus, and the first Presidential Fellow at Temple University. Dr. Sanchez has taught at San Francisco State University, Howard University, City College of New York, Amherst College, Spelman College, and the University of Pittsburgh. Some of Dr. Sanchez’s award winning and notable books of poetry include Homecoming (1969), We a BaddDDD People (1970), Love Poems (1973), I’ve Been a Woman: New and Selected Poems (1978), A Sound Investment (1980), Homegirls and Handgrenades (1984), Under a Soprano Sky (1987), Wounded in the House of a Friend (1995), and Does Your House Have Lions? (1997). Dr. Sanchez autographed her book, Morning Haiku (2010) for me at her book talk and signing, at Hue Man Bookstore in Harlem.
I had the privilege of producing and hosting a tribute poetry reading for her, at The Harlem Book Fair in July 2010. I can remember sitting in an audience at Harlem State in Harlem listening to Dr. Sanchez talk about how she often unpacked vernacular language including and curse words to get students to understand the impact of the words they use, and how to be artful in their choice of words. It was amazing. Dr. Sanchez showed that poets as teachers, can effectively teach how students can uplift themselves and those around them with the power of language and word choice.
Former U.S. Poet Laureate, Tracy K. Smith, is the author of several award-winning works: New and Selected Poems (2021); Wade in the Water (2018); Ordinary Light (2015); Life on Mars (2011); Duende (2007); The Body’s Question (2003). She has taught at Princeton University and is currently Professor of English and of African and African American Studies at Harvard University and Susan S. and Kenneth L. Wallach Professor at the Harvard Radcliffe Institute. I will never forget the Cave Canem Regional Poetry Workshop that I took with Tracy K. Smith years ago in New York City. In this workshop with Smith, I read wonderful poems by Aracelis Girmay, Naomi Shihab Nye and other poets. I learned about the ghazal poem format in Smith’s workshop. Having the opportunity to take a poetry workshop with a master poet who would years down the line become U.S. Poet Laureate is an experience I will never forget because I was also able to learn new strategies for teaching.
DuEwa Frazier is the founder/digital creator of Nerdacity, a writer, poet, children’s author, speaker, educator, publisher, and editor, her work can be found at www.duewafrazier.com.
