For poetry month which ended April 30th, I wrote eleven poems because I turned eleven years old. One of the poems was a bucket list poem and it tells you what I want to do before I die.
While I'm Alive I Will
See the white house
While It's painted
Black
Be serenaded by
Trey Songz
Star in the movie
Of my life
Walk a Brooklyn street
With my father
Ride a unicorn
To Alaska
Dye my hair
Neon green
Marry my love on
A Mediterranean
Wave
What do you want to do before you die?
Friday, May 13, 2011
Friday, March 25, 2011
Style and Smarts
This month I am writing about two women I admire very much. They seem to have nothing in common, but to me they do: their confidence. The women I speaking of are Beverly Johnson, the model, and Anna Julia Cooper, the scholar.
When Dr. Cooper was born in the 19th century, it wasn’t even common for black people to be able to read and go to school, but nevertheless, she studied and got a PhD, one of the first African-Americans ever to do so. She also wrote an important book called A Voice from the South which is about black feminism in the 19th century. Anna Julia Cooper was the first woman to write about black feminism, which helped us to understand the struggles black women faced both of our race and sex.
Beverly Johnson was the first black model to be on the cover Vogue magazine and the first black model to be on the French edition of Elle magazine. Modeling is still a white dominated industry, so it had to be hard to believe in yourself enough to get out there and do what she did. She helped make some changes in how we view beauty.
I love being smart and I love being stylish. These women let me know I can both. What I take from them is confidence and fierceness. I can be whoever I want to be and even be written down in history one day.
When Dr. Cooper was born in the 19th century, it wasn’t even common for black people to be able to read and go to school, but nevertheless, she studied and got a PhD, one of the first African-Americans ever to do so. She also wrote an important book called A Voice from the South which is about black feminism in the 19th century. Anna Julia Cooper was the first woman to write about black feminism, which helped us to understand the struggles black women faced both of our race and sex.
Beverly Johnson was the first black model to be on the cover Vogue magazine and the first black model to be on the French edition of Elle magazine. Modeling is still a white dominated industry, so it had to be hard to believe in yourself enough to get out there and do what she did. She helped make some changes in how we view beauty.
I love being smart and I love being stylish. These women let me know I can both. What I take from them is confidence and fierceness. I can be whoever I want to be and even be written down in history one day.
Friday, February 11, 2011
Dancing for her People
Every February my history curriculum focuses on Black people. What I love about this time is that I always learn about so many heroes and sheroes. Because I love to dance my mom suggested that I study Katherine Dunham.
Katherine Dunham was a dancer, choreographer, songwriter, writer, educator and activist. She was born on June 22, 1909 and died on May 21, 2006. She was African-American and French-Canadian (on her mother’s side). Ms. Dunham grew up in Glen Ellyn, Illinois and started a private dance studio for young Black children before she finished high-school. She went to Joliet Junior College and later moved to Chicago where she studied at the University of Chicago.
Ms. Dunham is important to the world because she was the first person to incorporate African styles of dance into her choreography and she also built institutions when there wasn’t much support for Black people at all. Those institutions are still today. But Ms. Dunham also supported her community in other way. In support of the people in Haiti who were escaping the deadly Duvalier government, she went on a 47 day hunger strike.
Katherine Dunham is important to me because she is an iconic dancer and she always loved her people. I would like to be that kind of dancer and human being.
Katherine Dunham was a dancer, choreographer, songwriter, writer, educator and activist. She was born on June 22, 1909 and died on May 21, 2006. She was African-American and French-Canadian (on her mother’s side). Ms. Dunham grew up in Glen Ellyn, Illinois and started a private dance studio for young Black children before she finished high-school. She went to Joliet Junior College and later moved to Chicago where she studied at the University of Chicago.
Ms. Dunham is important to the world because she was the first person to incorporate African styles of dance into her choreography and she also built institutions when there wasn’t much support for Black people at all. Those institutions are still today. But Ms. Dunham also supported her community in other way. In support of the people in Haiti who were escaping the deadly Duvalier government, she went on a 47 day hunger strike.
Katherine Dunham is important to me because she is an iconic dancer and she always loved her people. I would like to be that kind of dancer and human being.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
A New Year, A New Me!
Today is my blog is going to be about my New Years Resolutions. My goals are: to be a better friend, to be a healthier person, and to be other-centered.
Being a healthy person changes so much about you. You look better and feel better. Working out and eating right is all about being healthy. I have started to work out four times a week with my mom at the gym. Instead of having dessert everyday I have it once a week. My mom joined Weight Watchers which is teaching me how to eat right also. I feel accomplished and proud of myself.
I want to be a better friend because I know that I have very dear friends who I wouldn't want to lose. I know I can be bossy and I will change by being aware of how much I am. If my friend wants to do something her/his way I won’t question them all the time. For example, when I am around younger kids I tend to be very bossy but, instead I will let their parents tell them what to do. I also want to be a more understanding because when my friends tell me something that is weird to me, I judge them. I will think before I speak instead.
The last goal I want to achieve is working on how I can be other-centered. Sometimes I pay too much attention to my looks and I forget that there are things that are more important. I have decided to do more community service because when my community is beautiful I am beautiful. I'm going to do it even when I don’t want to do it because I am committing to my community. That’s what matters right now.
I have already started to archive my goals except for the last one because I haven’t found someplace where I could do it but, I still help my mom at work so I am still doing some type of service. I hope I get to complete all my goals . What are your goals for this year?
Being a healthy person changes so much about you. You look better and feel better. Working out and eating right is all about being healthy. I have started to work out four times a week with my mom at the gym. Instead of having dessert everyday I have it once a week. My mom joined Weight Watchers which is teaching me how to eat right also. I feel accomplished and proud of myself.
I want to be a better friend because I know that I have very dear friends who I wouldn't want to lose. I know I can be bossy and I will change by being aware of how much I am. If my friend wants to do something her/his way I won’t question them all the time. For example, when I am around younger kids I tend to be very bossy but, instead I will let their parents tell them what to do. I also want to be a more understanding because when my friends tell me something that is weird to me, I judge them. I will think before I speak instead.
The last goal I want to achieve is working on how I can be other-centered. Sometimes I pay too much attention to my looks and I forget that there are things that are more important. I have decided to do more community service because when my community is beautiful I am beautiful. I'm going to do it even when I don’t want to do it because I am committing to my community. That’s what matters right now.
I have already started to archive my goals except for the last one because I haven’t found someplace where I could do it but, I still help my mom at work so I am still doing some type of service. I hope I get to complete all my goals . What are your goals for this year?
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