Jason Carney: Southern Heritage <– Amazing Poem!

Today we worked with 7th graders at Mountain Mahogany Community School.  @Hakimbe wrote a curriculum to confront and talk about racial diversity, and racism in our lives’.  We have been working with these young people to talk about things: stereotypes, racism, discrimination etc.  @Hakimbe did the heavy lifting, and I have made cameo appearances, nevertheless, the students really shined today.  Today we had a slam that used “cover” poems about race in the 1st round, and original works in the 2nd round.  The work that was generated, was nothing short of incredible.  Today’s experience speaks to the reality that we underestimate our children: what they are going through, what they’ve experienced, and the questions they have about the world around them.  Today those questions were posed, those experiences shared, and growth – happened!  I was so very luck to be a part of this!  While I was watching brilliance take place, I was reminded of this poem:  Southern Heritage, by Jason Carney.  I met Jason once.  He is a compassionate, caring, and incredible being.  He is obviously, judging from this video, also an amazing poet, and an enlightened father.  As I post this, it is with the hopes that any parents who click on this tonight, will share it with their children, and talk about it afterwards.  We live in a hurtful, judgemental, and sometimes scary world – but it is things like today, and words like those that are in this poem, and in the poems of those amazing 7th graders, that bring one word to mind about our future – HOPE!  Enjoy!

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