Poems, Essays, Jokes, Book Reviews, Short Stories…there’s a world of creativity out there in our kids!
I just had to create this category after reading this stunning poem .
Dechere’s teacher explained that it was a poetry assignment. The class was discussing couplet poems and symbolism and for homework, each student chose a symbol from the magic hat, a symbol for them to write about. Her symbol was of a black man and a white man shaking hands. They were to interpret the symbol however they wished and write a 10 couplet poem. The beautiful poem that Dechere wrote is what came out.
Symbolic Poem
Dechere Grant, Grade 8
Century Community Charter School, Inglewood, CA.
When the first slave ships landed on American shores,
Black people were treated like they walked on all fours.
With the crack of the whip they were forced into slavery,
Until people like Tubman stood up with bravery.
Even some whites like Lincoln and Brown,
Wouldn’t let slave owners keep blacks down.
In 1864 blacks were suppose to be free,
But they still had to deal with inequality.
The south was a dangerous place for a black man,
Who always had to deal with the Ku Klux Klan.
Until a man came along named Martin Luther King,
Who decided that the whites should do the right thing.
They did the right thing and passed civil rights,
Now everyone can shake hands whether you’re black or white.
Barth Educational Consultants 
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