Question

Step 1: Select at least TWO texts from this Unit that you will use to illustrate this topic I choose

1. In Search of our Mothers Gardens, by Alice Walker

2. Caged Bird by Alicia Keys



Step 2: Describe how the texts you selected relate to this topic and what the texts you’ve chosen say about the topic you chose.




Step 3: Select how you will portray the topic and how it is revealed in the texts you chose (highlight your selection):

Art
Poetry
Narrative
Film
Other

Step 4: Complete your creative piece!

Step 5: Answer the following questions:

Explain your artistic choices. Discuss how your selected format best represents your ideas. Include any additional information that may not be immediately clear to the audience.

Explain how the literature in this unit has influenced your final product. Name specific texts/authors and how they informed your understanding of the targeted experience.

Answer 1

Topic: The Power of Art to Convey the Black Female Experience

Step 1:

• In Search of our Mothers Gardens, by Alice Walker

This text explores the lives of black women and their creative expression through art. Walker argues that the creativity of black women has been suppressed throughout history and that it is important to recognize and celebrate their contributions to art and culture.

• Caged Bird by Alicia Keys

This song is about the struggles and oppression experienced by black women, particularly in relation to their voices being silenced. Keys speaks to the resilience and strength of black women in the face of adversity.

Step 2:

Both of these texts highlight the power of art to convey the experiences of black women. They show how art can be used to express the pain, struggle, and resilience of black women in a way that words alone cannot.

Step 3:

Step 3:Poetry

Step 3:PoetryStep 4:

• I am a poem titled "Voices Rising," inspired by both texts.

Voices Rising

We are the daughters of a lineage of queens,

Our voices silenced, but not our dreams.

We are the ones who weave stories in our hair,

And paint our pain with colors that dare.

We are the artists, the poets, the singers,

The ones who carry the weight of our lineage.

We are the caged birds, but we still sing,

Our voices are rising on freedom's wings.

Our art speaks where words cannot,

A language born of the pain we fought.

We tell our stories in every stroke,

In every note, we break the yoke.

We are the ones who make our gardens grow,

Where the seeds of our ancestors still sow.

We are the legacy of those who came before,

And our voices will rise forever.

Step 5:

I chose to write a poem because I believe that poetry is a powerful way to convey the experiences of black women. Poetry has the ability to distill complex emotions and experiences into a few words, making it a perfect medium to express the pain, struggle, and resilience of black women.

In writing this poem, I was influenced by the ideas presented in both texts. Alice Walker's "In Search of our Mothers Gardens" showed me the importance of recognizing the contributions of black women to art and culture, and how these contributions can be used to convey their experiences. Alicia Keys' "Caged Bird" spoke to the power of black women's voices and their ability to rise above oppression.

Both texts reinforced the idea that art is a powerful tool for black women to express themselves and their experiences. I wanted to capture this idea in my poem, by showing how art, particularly poetry, can be used to give voice to the struggles and triumphs of black women.