UNIT:
Lesson: 7
Text Title
“Speak the Truth to the People, I Am A Black Woman” by Mari Evans
Main Idea
In “Speak the Truth to the People”, Evans provides a road map to a liberated mind by suggesting African Americans change the focus from protesting against the oppressive system to the edification of self. Evans’ use of literary devices such as repetition, capitalization and bold text, highlights what she values most and believes to be the tools for advancement.
Essential Question
The unit essential questions developed in this lesson are:
- How can poetry highlight a community’s strengths, challenges and ambitions?
Content Objective
By engaging in this lesson, students will know/understand that…
- Evans believes the true enemy to the progress of her community is a way of thinking that distracts from unity. This clarity is what she believes can be the force to dismantle structures that stifle the African American community.
Literacy Objective
By engaging in this lesson, students will strengthen their ability to…
- Provide a literary analysis of a poem based on the word choice, imagery, tone and structure/style.
Standards Alignment
- Analyze a particular point of view or cultural experience in a work of world literature considering how it reflects heritage, traditions, attitudes, and beliefs. (8.RL.3.2)
