Honoring National Poetry Month & Preserving Banned & Scrubbed US History
It's a lot, thank goodness for poets
#NationalPoetryMonth: “Pity the Nation (After Khalil Gibran)” by Lawrence Ferlinghetti - was written in 2007 near the end of George W. Bush’s second term, which was a very bad 8 years for the rule of law, democracy, civil rights here and abroad, and for Muslims around the world and at home (and those that are perceived as Muslim). Ferlinghetti was inspired by Khalil Gibran’s 1933 version, which was itself a cry against what was rising in Germany and across the globe at the time. A reminder that we keep saying “never forget,” and yet … here we are.
I have read some new poetry collections this month by some old favorites and a new poet for me!
Poetry Collection: A Little Daylight Left by Sarah Kay: I first came to Kay seeing her her spoken word. She is wonderful in person. This is her newest collection and it doesn’t disappoint.
Poetry Collection: Ecstasy by Alex Dimitrov: Dimitrov is a very NYC poet, and even if we have entirely different NYC lives, his poems always strike a chord, and this new collection reflects that in all his partying glory!
Poetry Collection: The Unboxing of a Black Girl by Angela Shanté: Shanté is a new to me poet and this collection was excellent, and as she suggested, it’s best read out loud!
Alive at the End of the World: This is one of my favorite poetry collections by one of my favorite poets, writers, and culture critics Saeed Jones (of perennial podcast recommendation VibeCheck). I’ve decided to use it as the name of a new regular feature with recommendations and tips for these authoritarian times in the United States. I’m not here to convince you that we are in dangerous and precarious times. We are here. For many communities, we have been here for a very long time, not just since January. I’ll be offering tips and resources periodically for you and those you love. They will also be compiled in this evergreen document.
**If you have corrections for me or other resources to add, please comment or message me**
Factual History of the United States - Preserving and Teaching It: Between the rise of book bans in libraries and educational institutions, and the growing erasure of truth spoken by our current administration and on government websites, we are at another pivotal moment. The U.S. government is actively scrubbing and/or altering online websites, archives and reports, erasing content that tells the truth about our history, from genocide and slavery to the exploitation of marginalized communities and anything else that disrupts the myth of American exceptionalism rooted in capitalism, white supremacy, and patriarchy.
Digital scrubbing is modern-day book burning. We are being asked/forced to forget. So we choose to remember and teach.
I’m sharing these starter resources to download, watch, listen to, print, archive, and buy now … for future generations, for people of all ages in our lives, and for ourselves. So we remember what has been, what’s at stake, and what we fight for.
A People’s History of the United States by Howard Zinn: A landmark book of U.S. history from the perspective of everyday people, not the powerful, including a version for younger readers.
Teaching People’s History, Zinn Education Project: Since 2008, this project has built an incredible online library of lesson plans that center this history. Download and print them!
An Indigenous People’s History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz: A re-framing of American history through the lens of Indigenous survival and resistance.
A People’s History of the World by Chris Harman: A global look at power, revolution, and the struggle from the view of those who survived … inspired by the Zinn book!
Video Series: Crash Course Black American History by Clint Smith: A 52-part video series that’s sharp, honest, and accessible for the youths, and frankly for us, created by another one of my favorite poets and authors, historian Clint Smith.
Stamped from the Beginning by Ibram X. Kendi: A history of racist ideas in America’s founding and how they shape society to this day including a version for younger readers.
The Rediscovery of America: Native Peoples and the Unmaking of American History by Ned Blackhawk: A re-examination of U.S. history, centering Native resistance across centuries.
Podcast Series: Seeing White by Scene on Radio: A transformative audio series that unpacks the history and construction of whiteness in America. I learned so much from this, especially about how Asian Americans have trafficked in anti-Blackness to be closer to power and whiteness in this country.
Explore the other 6 seasons of Scene on Radio, three of which dive into the history and systems behind patriarchy ("Men"), democracy ("The Land That Never Has Been Yet"), and capitalism. Each one offers critical, truth-telling education rarely taught in mainstream spaces.
Working Toward Whiteness: How America’s Immigrants Became White by David R. Roediger: A look at how 20th-century European immigrants were first segregated from and then absorbed into whiteness, revealing race as a shifting category used to maintain systems of power.