Blog 1 Of Poetry and Protest

These first 63 pages of the book Of Poetry & Protest, and I suspect the rest, speak about issues that feel entirely too relevant in our current political climate (still). The opening pieces focus on critical events that influenced some of our writers. Jeannine Amber writes about the world before and after the murder of Trayvon Martin. Before Trayvon was shot by an armed neighborhood watchman black parents generally believed they could protect their sons from violence by teaching them how to act when interacting with police. But when an overzealous neighborhood watchman decided a young black boy in a hoodie was suspicious he “set into motion a chain of events that left the boy dead (p. 15, The Talk)”.

Harry Belafonte writes about the impact of words concerning the civil rights movement and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. While reading this interview excerpt I could not help but see some unsettling parallels with current tactics used by those in the media, or with an internet connection, when confronted with opposing views. Belafonte writes how governmental agencies, namely those under the influence of Hoover, actively worked to discredit the civil rights movement. As I read this I am dismayed that it reminds me of our current president and the potential impact his administration may have after 4 years. The very last paragraph was especially powerful to me. Here he is writing about Dr King’s funeral where he confronts a writer. This writer had previously been overly critical of Dr King and helped in the attempt to discredit him and the movement’s he championed. While Belafonte can see the writer is sad, he must understand the role he played in “making the moment realizable” (21). Currently everything that disagrees with the current president’s narrative is being labeled as fake news and the term alternative facts was used by the White House. And fears are becoming realities as the new executive orders continue to be signed.

The Elizabeth Alexander narrative piece about Muhammad Ali was very interesting to me. For me the aspect of Ali where it touches on religion, as he was very proud of his, connected to the current political policies that are being directed at Muslims here in the United States. There is this attempt to dehumanize people seeking refuge and talk of a immigration ban on Muslims. Even though religion is only briefly mentioned in this poem, that in itself can be considered something in the way of a protest in today's hostile environment. “As long as the oppressed tell their true story it will carry the edge of protest” (pg. 23).

Toi Derricotte’s Piece A Note on My Son’s Face hurt. To read how she had been made to feel so negatively about a non-european appearance she would use a line as strong as “I wanted that face to die” when speaking about her own loved ones. When she mentions her light haired grandchild I thought about how the non-white population is growing much faster here, including mixed families. It is going to create a unique political environment in the near future that is ideally more inclusive.