PLATFORMS

PLATFORMS

1. Defining Self
2. Becoming Resilient
3. Engaging Others
4. Building Capacity



They call me monster.
They call me beast.
I just want to be human.
Give me the language to put my voice on record
Before I cus somebody out
Then they will call me an inarticulate, foul-mouth fool
Doomed by another descriptor.
Help!



In this poetic broadside, I am seeking the language to define who I am so that I can put my voice on record.


You will read several authors who will serve as language coaches to help you create poetic broadsides.


What is a poetic broadside?


It is a short, powerful piece of straightforward poetry that is small enough to fit in the back pocket.


We will read and react to the poetry of Claude McKay, Langston Hughes, Amiri Baraka, and Alfred Tatum.


During week 1: You will create poetic broadsides that focus on issues you believe affect young males of color across the diaspora. Start with your own community and expand the lens.

Brother Author, Dr. T.

jonathan said...

L.I.F.E

Love
Influence
Frustration
Education

LIFE!!!


Anthony G. said...

Running.....


Police sirens start,
As fast as I could,
Down th alley,
Over the gate,
Shine in my eyes,
Hands behind my head,
Face on the cold brick wall,
In the squad car I go,
BUT IT WAS ALL HIS FAULT............


Anthony Griggs

July 2, 2008 11:26 AM

slayton g. said...

Slayton Goodman
July 1st 2008

your judgment does not count

You can't tell me how to live my life
Is your life so perfect you can give me advise

I could point out your problems too
I could talk about the things you do

But i don't, i'm not perfect thats easy to see
But nobody else is perfect so only god can judge me

July 2, 2008 11:28 AM

Armand said...

WHERE ARE YOU
Armand Miller
Im living my life with people I don;t know
I wish I could see you in all your shine and glory
So I can tell you my life's story
But I can not 'cause you are not here
I hold you in my heart so fond and so dear
Where are you mom and dad I miss You dear

July 2, 2008 11:33 AM


Anthony Ponder said...

Author: Anthony Ponder
Date: July 1,2008
Title: "How I Am Different, or Am I Different At All?"

Due to failures, I am forced to better myself in ways unimaginable.
Forced to climb mountains that seem insurmountable.
While yet maintaining family values that are forever indestructible.

A childhood that seemed unforgettable
has only allowed my enemies the feel the wrath of an animal,
The beast inside me that demolishes my foes.

The brutality of my knowledge no one knows
Killing my ignorant brother with words unknown
Or so they seemed to him, as if my words were cold.

How knowledge, is detrimental to the well being of my soul
Yet to my ignorant brother he tries to avoid it like a cold
So unfamiliar with the strange faces in a book

Yet how is my ignorant brother ignorant?
but don't know
So am I ignorant for not letting him know?

July 2, 2008 11:34 AM
Delete

Kendrick Washington said...

el silencio lo es todo (silence is everything)

-Silence!!!!
-The world has many eyes and ears out there
- And if you knew that, you wouldn't be here right now
- In my face, explaining yourself
- You've been told that the truth will set you free
- But in your case, the truth will bring nothing but anger and devastation
- Everyone will be able to know about all the bad you've done
- And who the real person you are behind CLOSED doors
- You try to translate
- I need you to traducir (translate) not anymore
- No time for a resolution
- Because you bought the ticket
- Get on the horse and ride it
-MAN UP and accept full responsibility
- We're stupid
- But not anymore, we can see right through you
- You should feel ashamed.....


-Silence!!!
-The world has many eyes and ears out there
- And if you knew that, you wouldn't be sitting here right now,
-In my face, explaining yourself
- You're a fake,
- And if you only knew
- What's in store for you....


-Silence!!!

July 2, 2008 11:36 AM
Delete


Deonte said...

Homeless Man

This man looks homeless
Forgotten! Sad! Lonely!
A feeling I would never
EVER like to have.
The world would end up like an
empty space of NOTHING!
So until the day I die, I will ALWAYS
treat myself with respect so I don’t end up
homeless.


Deonte Jones July 2, 2008

July 2, 2008 3:53 PM



slayton g. said...

Is this what we have become

After all the fight and struggle for freedom
Is this what we become
Killing and fighting one another like animals
We should take charge and do something with our lives
If not whats the point of being free it can do no good for me

by Slayton Goodman
July 2nd 2008

July 2, 2008 4:49 PM
Delete


Jonathan Holmes said...

WHO’S THE MAN?

Look at me
Do you respect me?
Am I powerful with this barrel down your throat?
Or, are you just intimidated.
I think I’m a man.
At least this is what I see.
They never showed me differently.
Shoot him down so I can get my soccer ball
Or he’ll think I’m cool and let me in the gang
Maybe, that bully won’t bother me.
So please show me what is a man!
Before I pull the trigger again.
BANG!
By Jonathan Holmes

July 3, 2008 11:25 AM



Anthony Ponder said...

Author: Anthony Ponder
Date: July 2, 2008

“Look into my eyes”


With age comes wisdom….
So look into my eyes….
With every wrinkle in my face, another story lies…
I look at you… and I see myself….
But in an immature state of mind
See eager to enter the world
But, not knowing what the word Hides….

Beauty isn’t just skin deep
It is developed in the mind
Not knowing how truly beautiful you are until you see the ugly inside…
I’m confident in myself
And to you I ask why??
Why??
Why kill off your own race?
It’s just a form of Genocide

My brother I beg you look into my eyes
With every wrinkle in my face another story lies
DAMN IT!!!!!
YOUNG BRUTHA LOOK INTO MY EYES!!!!

July 3, 2008 11:27 AM



TRISTON HARTLEY said...

bang bang

you here guns go off

more bodies drop

but

the clock still

goes

tick tock

July 3, 2008 1:41 PM



johnathan f. said...

Silly wily bumble bee

Silly wily was a very clumsy bumble bee

He swerved, and curved down the street

But what silly wily didn’t know was that





He was bout to be in the biggest mess up
ever





Silly wily went buzzing into the big jumbo man’s store





The man saw silly wily in started grumbling,
In bumbling, and yelling towards him






He swatted, in anger at silly wily






But the missed him and he hit the honey that silly wily always try’s to take






But silly wily caught the honey jar and
The big jumbo man thanked him






Silly tried to shake his hand but he dropped the honey jar



the jumbo man started yelling again
but this time even louder



AAAHHH!!! He screamed.



He swung at silly wily again



But he missed him




This time the man hit some juice





Silly wily darted straight towards the juice and saves it before it hits the floor




The man thanks silly wily again and apologizes for how he yelled at him



Silly wily drops the juice to give the jumbo man a hug



The man starts yelling again at silly wily,
And starts swinging everywhere!!!



Bing!


Bang!

Bam!

Catter!

Tatter!
Smatter!


Bong!


Boom!


Blaow!

Ratta!

Tat!

Tat!

Bing! BANG!

BOW!!



Before you knew it the store was destroyed
The jumbo man looked around and started to cry.



WHHHAAA!!!



The jumbo man grabbed his coat and went home, the next day the store looked brand new

The man found out that silly wily had clean up the place with a couple of friends

The jumbo man went up to silly and said “thank you for fixing my store” and silly said “no problem”


when silly turned around to leave he bumped into a honey jar making it fall to the ground.


And you know what happen then….




AAAHHHH!

July 17, 2008 1:07 PM


john galloway said...

MY SPIRIT



My Mommy told me that we will have a baby coming soon
Dose that mean ill have to share my room? She said that she
Will be here in a month, But I don’t want her to come! Its my
Room my toys she can sleep up front! I don’t want no sista don’t
Want no little girl I want to stay in my own little world.Dont bring no baby please, please, please! Dont have no girl just keep me! Dont want no girl don’t want no baby make it right before I go crazy

You bring her toys you bring her gifts take them back in
My house she can’t live! Days go by I cry and cry that baby
Will ruin my life that baby will be bad I can feel in my spirit
She’ll yell and cry I can just hear it. Don’t want no girl
Don’t want no baby make it right before I go crazy!


The baby comes im Very Very mad she can’t live here take
Her back .she reaches out to me I pick her up she falls asleep
In my arms she breaths softly I can just hear it she is a baby
She’s my little sista ill call her spirit.

July 17, 2008 1:20 PM


Deonte said...

SPARE CHANGE


Every time I’m in a car and we’re driving, I always
see this lady. She always has on the same ripped jeans
and the same brown shirt with the big whole in the side.
She always comes up to the driver seat window with a dusty
can. The only words that ever came out of her mouth was,
“spare change.” I felt sorry for her, but then again did I?
Maybe there was a reason she was homeless. I did not want
to ask her because that would be rude. So I guess I’ll never
find out why she’s homeless begging for spare change.

Deonte Jones July 29, 2008

July 29, 2008 8:04 PM


john f. said...

I hate you
I hate you
I don’t like you
You make me sick
You make feel like im getting hit
With a stick
In the head,
getting sprayed with mase in the face
you make me feel like im getting snatched from gods holy grace
that’s why I hate

July 31, 2008 4:00 PM


SLAYTON G. said...

TOUCHDOWN-1


Excuse me miss I’m not trying to be a rude dude
But I like to complement pretty girls like you
And I wanted to say you look lovely
And if you gave me a chance to be your man you would love me
I was thinking I started to wonder
Would it be okay for me to get your number?
My name Slayton *** ** *6
Cause you the type of woman I’d like to get with

By Slayton G.

August 1, 2008 1:15 PM

Welcome

This is an interactive blog for the young African American adolescent males participating in the University of Illinois at Chicago first African American Adolescent Male Summer Literacy Institute.


As Director of the Institute, I welcome each of you. It is my hope that you become the detailers of the African American young male experience throughout the world. You are encouraged to write without halting ambiguity.

We will use this Literacy Blog to digitize our voices across several Chicagoland communities by strengthening the connections among reading, writing, and action.

Brother Author, Dr. T.