Eden C. Stein
Students may be familiar with some of the historical figures alluded to in Brown Girl Dreaming but may only have a superficial knowledge of them. Certainly, they have studied Martin Luther King Jr. and may have read the “I Have a Dream'' speech and possibly even “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” However, they would clearly benefit from reading about and selections by Malcom X, James Baldwin, Huey Newton, Angela Davis, and the Black Panthers and Black Power movement in general. Other topics important in the memoir which can be studied in nonfiction accompanying texts include the Negro Motorist Green Book, Jehovah's Witnesses, and the Muslim religion.
Since the Civil Rights movement goes on in the background of Ms. Woodson’s childhood, it will be important for students to examine and interpret the photographs which have become icons. The National Gallery of Art has a “Civil Rights Movement'' page on the Uncovering America section of their website which will be very useful for this. According to John Lewis, “[These images] are a testament to the ability of a committed, determined people to transform a nation, even the most powerful nation on earth, and bring it more in line with the call for justice”.22 In addition to a curated collection of fourteen photographs, each photo has detailed information as well as pointed questions about the photos. One of them is a photograph of Norman Lewis’ painting which his wife said he called “Alabama.”23 This would be an interesting piece of art for the whole class to describe and analyze. Then the class could move on to use a system to describe and analyze a photograph, followed by small groups of students each choosing one of the photographs to do the same with and then write a journal entry on. Artwork reflecting the social movements of the period which is not mentioned in Ms. Woodson’s memoir can and should be folded in. For example, from the Africobra movement there is “Homage to a Giant,” the notorious painting by Wadsworth Jarell reflecting Malcom X. This painting is so appealing with its bright colors and various facial expressions could be accompanied by a biographical text about Malcolm X, whose life is so important to many students of color.24 Another painting by a co-founder of Africobra is “I Am Somebody,” painted by Gerald Williams in 1969, which provides students with an opportunity to study painting alongside poetry, and also is useful for helping students see connections across media and historical figures. According to kavigupta.com,
This painting pays homage to the poem "I Am Somebody," written by an Atlanta-based Baptist pastor and civil rights activist named Reverend William Holmes Borders, Sr. The poem states, "I am Somebody! I am Somebody! I may be poor, But I am Somebody. I may be young, But I am Somebody. I may be on welfare, But I am Somebody. I may be small, But I am Somebody. I may have made mistakes, But I am Somebody. My clothes are different, My face is different, My hair is different, But I am Somebody. I am Black, Brown, or White. I speak a different language, But I must be respected, protected, never rejected. I am God's child!" Two years after Williams painted this canvas, the Reverend Jesse Jackson recited "I Am Somebody" on an episode of Sesame Street in front of a multi-racial group of children, who together repeatedly recited the chorus of "I Am Somebody."25
Artwork can also be used to explore connections to the current time and Black Lives Matter. For example, the 1972 painting by Betye Saar, “The Liberation of Aunt Jemima,”26 can be used to illustrate the long process of social change with a current article about how her image was finally removed from syrup bottles in 2020.27 This can be interpreted alongside the more peaceful but equally powerful image of another mature Black woman drawn by Emory Douglas for the Black Panther magazine.28
In Brown Girl Dreaming Woodson mentions quite a few musical pieces which played in the background of her youth. Early in the story Jacqueline’s grandmother tells her “Colored folks used to stay where they belonged. But times are changing”,29 and Bob Dylan’s “Times They Are A-Changin,”30 can let students know it was not only people of color who thought so. This song could be paired with “A Change is Gonna Come“ by Sam Cooke.31 As listening to music from different eras adds energy, depth and richness to the classroom, the students will benefit from listening to upbeat works mentioned in the poem “music” such as “ABC” by the Jackson Five,32 “O-O-H CHILD” by the Five Stairsteps,33 “Funky Worm” by the Ohio Players,34 “Everyday People” by Sly and the Family Stone, and the melancholy “He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother” by the Hollies.35 The memoir also mentions “Twistin’ the Night Away” by Sam Cooke.36 The darker “Family Affair,”37 also by Sly and the Family Stone, is mentioned later in the book as her mother’s favorite song may also be something that students can relate to. Students can pick their favorite out of these well-known works of art to write about in verse or prose. The title of Part IV, “deep in my heart I do believe” could provide an opportunity to listen to “We Shall Overcome,”38 and discuss the many occasions on which that song is played as well as begin an exploration on the theme of the book.
As with the visual art, it is ideal to expand the musical selections beyond the allusions from the memoir into protest songs of the Civil Rights movement, as outlined on the TeachRock website. For example, “Respect” as recorded by Aretha Franklin39 is a song that will be familiar to many and is appealing to marginalized groups such as African Americans as well as women, and of course the intersectionality of the two. Interestingly, the song was actually written by Otis Redding. James Brown is another fascinating figure. A celebrity with a crossover audience before he became involved in the Civil Rights movement, following the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., he toured with the message of encouragement to young Black people of “learn, don’t burn.” Shortly after this he recorded “Say it Loud: I’m Black and I’m Proud”.40 The 1971 hit by Marvin Gaye ’What's Goin’ On,” was originally written by Motown staff songwriter Al Cleveland about a clash between the police and anti-Vietnam War demonstrators. It was later adopted and adapted by Marvin Gaye to communicate both despair and hope, the honest duality that is so important to communicate to young people learning about historical and present systemic racism.41
Regarding the exploration of works of art in the classroom, the Artful Thinking website has several routines which are designed to support thoughtful thinking and the integration of works of art into the classroom that will be extremely helpful. These are mini activities that support various levels of learning such as comparing and contrasting, observing and describing, questioning and investigating, and reasoning.42 Overall, it will be important to give students plenty of time to observe works of art, base their interpretations on evidence from the artwork/text, and for the teacher to facilitate the appreciation of multiple perspectives, encouraging the understanding of art as a process rather than product. In the Language Arts classroom, this connects strongly to yearlong learning goals for texts (substituting the piece of art for written text) such as using evidence from the text as a basis for inquiry, using evidence to form and support an argument, seeing a text in the context of a historical moment, assessing the author/artist's choices in craft, and analyzing multiple perspectives. It will be helpful to coordinate with the art teacher to establish who will review basic terms such as medium, background, foreground, and print. Creative assignments may also be used in conjunction with art class to process current/historical events, communicate and converse with those around them, and increase self-awareness.
Contemporary art exploration will be an enjoyable aspect of the unit that students will likely be surprised by and eager to engage in. For example, the work of Hebru Brantley found on hebrubranley.com could provide material for a student choice project. Jumping off points could be works such as “Untitled” with its multi fabric quilt-like head wrap, and “Lord of the Flies Part 2”43 with its reference to the classic text possibly familiar to students because of their reading of Damselfly by Chandra Prasad, which is a modern multicultural and intergender take on the classic text. The topic of hair is addressed in “afros''44 and is a motif in Brown Girl Dreaming. Here the class can look at the 2012 Ebony collages of Lorna Simpson,45 and perhaps also analyze the way her portrayal of hair changed over the years. Film can be integrated as well, with the contemporary Oscar winning short film “Hair Love.''46 Other artists we may want to explore include Monica Ahanonu, Kehinde Wiley, Jean Michel Basquiat, and Augusta Savage. Basquiat’s illustrations in the picture book version of Life Doesn’t Frighten Me47 is another great poetry visual art connection. All these connections will be incorporated into a study of identity throughout the unit, which will provide a way for students to reflect on their own identity. While the class is still reading the book, students can begin to write short poems with accompanying artwork relating to their own identity, a collection of which will be completed as the culminating project for the unit. At the same time, in art class they can work on a montage or other piece of art that will be suitable as a cover for their very own memoirs.
Throughout the unit students can be exploring and expressing their own identities. It will be important for the teacher to be able to have frank discussions about systemic racism and the current Black Lives Matter movement. However, like Jacqueline Woodson this author believes it is important to focus on a message of hope. This can be accomplished by folding in a presentation of anti-racist ideas and positive role models. Students could read and analyze a speech by Barack Obama such as the one he gave following the murder of George Floyd which directly transmits a message of hope to young Black Americans.48 On addition, the speech given by Michelle Obama while she was first lady on the power of education49 would also add an important dimension. Overall, the possibilities for enrichment with this unit in the areas of literary analysis, historical context, and connection to current events along with the visual art and music are limitless, and the unit can easily be adjusted to fit individual teachers’ goals and objectives.