The End of Fear: Spoken Word, Life Lessons, and Educating Black and Latino Young Men

• In Event: Sheraton Roundtable Session 41
  In Roundtable Session: Critically Examining the Education of Black and Latino Boys and Young Adults

Abstract

Black and Latino young men face multiple forms of trauma-inducing systemic oppression, with limited outlets for healing. For the purposes of this work, we utilized a critical English education (Morrell, 2005) and trauma studies (Dutro, 2008) framework to explore how a group of Black and Latino students in an all-male, in-school mentoring group (UMOJA) created poetry and a spoken word performance that confronted their trauma and fear. Field notes, artifacts, and video were collected during a “poetry porch” workshop and performance and analyzed to highlight themes related to trauma and healing rooted in feelings of loneliness, violence, relationships, and insecurity. This work provides examples of how critical educators can create space for creativity and catharsis through poetry.

Authors

• Yolanda Sealey-Ruiz, Teachers College, Columbia University

• Wanda Watson, Mills College

• Iesha Jackson, University of Nevada - Las Vegas