We continue our look at the Black Arts Movement. This week we are focusing more exclusively on female poets of the Black Arts Movement with Sonia Sanchez and June Jordan. Select one of the themes from the list below and give us your “reading” (meaning interpretation) of either one poem by Sonia Sanchez or one by June Jordan. For your examples of poems by Sanchez or Jordan, you are not limited to the poems from our reading this week in the anthology; if you want to go online and find a poem by Sonia Sanchez or June Jordan, may do so, or you may stick to the poems listed for our reading this week out of the anthology (you may do this either way). In your response, give us the title of the poem and poet; if it is in the anthology, give the page number for it, but if it is one you retrieved online then give us the link to the poem. I am excited to see your poem selections and how you read/interpret the poem’s meaning. I want you to think about and consider does the poem speak an element of “truth” that women can relate to? Specifically, how may the poem address women of color? Who is the poet speaking to in the poem? Is the poet herself speaking through the poem or has the poet constructed a persona (mask, image, character) to speak for others?

Here are the list of themes. Again, select one theme as your literary lens to “read” the poem through and to use to analyze/interpret the poem’s meaning.

Black Activism (Social Activism)
Women’s reproductive rights
Sexuality
Women and labor/work
Love/Heartbreak
Emotional loss or emotional trauma
Abuse or trauma
Women’s history
Women’s rights
Family History
The environment/Nature
Women as survivors, warriors, goddesses, powerful
Before you respond, I want  you to watch the videos placed here of Sonia Sanchez and June Jordan reading their own poetry. The poems they are reading may not be the poem you have selected to write about–and that is okay! But, I want you seeing, hearing how the poet sounds when the poet reads her own work! It is important to get a sense of the way the poet brings life and energy to her work!

SONIA SANCHEZ

JUNE JORDAN

In an age where social media is prevalent, your research project will be an exercise in utilizing your networking skills to find an artist whose work resonates with you – deeply resonates with you.  You will write about them, their work, and how the two intertwine.  You must choose a contemporary artist, preferably one that is still living, but one that has died within the past 10 years is acceptable.  Fortunately, many living contemporary artists are friendly, and if you ask nice enough, might give you an interview.

This is not a biography, this is an exercise is conceptual development.  You can give at most, half a page of their history, unless their history is a fundamental influence on their practice.

You need to find an artist with a well-defined artist statement.  Finding an artist that appeals to you but doesn’t have enough information means you find another artist.

Questions you should answer in your report:

Why does this artist use jewelry, or other body adornment, as their medium?  (I.E. why is it important for the work to live on the body?)
Every artist is a visual storyteller.  What do they want us to think/feel?
What is their aesthetic? Why do you suppose they choose that?
What about their work inspires to you?

Requirements:

3 images.  Include Title, materials, dimensions and year of creation