JULIA: My African heritage is the
heart of "where I'm from." I try to learn all I can
about my history by listen and by learning from the elders in
my community. I also attend classes after school. This photograph
was taken in my neighborhood. I wrote this poem with Madonna.
We both looked at the photograph and wrote down the words that
came to our minds. Then we wrote the poem together. (back)
MADONNA: While writing this poem
with Julia I was given the opportunity to learn about her rich
African culture, she shared intimate details about her feelings
about where she came from. By doing so, the class myself included
was able to have better understanding of the what's and why's
of our sister Julia Harden. (back)
LAUREN: My grandmother is a very
important person in terms of "where I'm from." Although
it's hard to see in this photograph, both my grandmother and I
are reflected in the mirror. I'm looking at her and she's looking
back at me. There were several steps that I used in order to write
the poem that goes along with this picture. First, I started with
listening to a song by Sweet Honey in the Rock. Then, Ms. Kelly
asked us to make a journal entry about a relative who plays a
very important role in our lives. She asked us to start writing
with a line from the song, "Child, look deep into my eyes."
In this poem, I am writing in the voice of my grandmother - like
she is talking to me. (back)
