June Jordan, a Black and queer poet and activist from Harlem, wrote powerfully in "Poem About My Rights" about why she couldn't go outside without feeling unsafe and wrong--that was in the 1970s. Today, her poem resonates still, and the urgency of her message is amplified by decades of continued violence against BIPOC. We need Jordan's strength, defiance and call for justice now more than ever. We need her poetry to help us continue the fight against injustice, to locate the beauty and power we each have within ourselves, and to help us grieve the deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and Carlos Adrian Ingram-Lopez, among so many others.

In this Olio, Christina Katopodis will be leading a discussion about June Jordan's "Poem About My Rights." We will closely read her poem, listen to Jordan read the poem in her own voice, and engage in collaborative activities related to the poem, the pandemic, and the #BlackLivesMatter movement.

*This is a Screen-Free Olio. Turn off your video, listen in, and take a walk during the class. Discussion will be encouraged throughout.*