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Visual- Poem

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  Wyleah Coplin  African American Lit 1  Project  For my Visual Arts project, I created an original poem titled “We Are Not One.” As someone who writes poetry regularly, I wanted to use my own voice to explore the course theme of Binary Oppositions in a way that feels real to me. Writing this poem allowed me to reflect on how freedom and oppression can exist at the same time in the Black American experience. Even though society often says that equality has already been achieved, I question whether that equality is actually felt in everyday life. The repeated line “we are not one” represents the division I see socially, politically, and emotionally. In the poem, I highlight oppositions such as protest versus riot, Black Lives Matter versus “all lives,” and the unequal consequences people face for similar actions. These contrasts show how perspective and language shape public opinion and influence how situations are judged. I wanted the reader to feel that tension inst...
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Lesson Plan

  Nakiya Irving African American Literature  Unit of Study : Breaking the Binary: Identity, Race, and Artistic Expression Focus : How do writers use pride vs. shame and freedom vs. oppression to shape identity and inspire change? Grade Level: 8 th Grade Time :  4 Weeks Configuration : Whole group instruction, Small group, Independent work, and Collaborative project time Standard Units: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.8.1 Students will determine two or more central ideas and analyze their development. CSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.8.2 Students will analyze how individuals, groups, and ideas are introduced and developed. CSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.8.3 Students will determine the author’s point of view and analyze how it is conveyed. CSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.8.4 Students will introduce their beliefs through a form of written or visual expression provided.  This course introduces eighth-grade students to binary opposition , which is when writers show meaning by comparing o...
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Power vs. Powerlessness

  Power vs. Powerlessness   Subject  Teacher  Grade  Date  History  Amaris  4th  03/01/2026  Overview This Weeks Objective is to have a better understanding of our background, Power vs. Powerlessness I would say. Teaching Black American history to young children so they can know their background and why it is so important today. Hello, my 4th grades, I have explained what this week’s objective is on: The topic of Binary Opposition: Power vs. Powerlessness The Angle:  Is to Teach Black American history to young children as a way of transforming historical powerlessness into knowledge, pride, and empowerment. Primary Text: Sit-In: How Four Friends Stood Up by Sitting Down by Andrea Davis Pinkney Justification for Primary Text: Sit-In: How Four Friends Stood Up by Sitting Down is an ideal primary text for younger children because it presents complex historical struggles in a way that is engaging, age appropriate, and memorable. The boo...
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Mixtape

  For my major project, I created a mixtape titled “Reclaiming Black Identity: Freedom  and Pride.” It connects to Module Six, especially Langston Hughes’ essay The Negro Artist  and the Racial Mountain and our course notes on authenticity, Black art, and Black voices.  Hughes explains how many Black individuals were taught to view “whiteness” as superior,  which discouraged them from embracing their culture.  My mixtape responds to that idea by highlighting songs that show the growth from  internalized shame to cultural pride. Each track celebrates Black identity, freedom, and  self-definition, demonstrating how Black artists now embrace their culture  unapologetically and live by their own standards.  Mixtape Link: https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/reclaiming-black-identity freedom-and-pride/pl.u-pMyllEEh4q1KvvB  1. Brown Skin Girl- Beyoncé, SAINt JHN, Wizkid, and Blue Ivy Carter  This song celebrates Black girls and women ...
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