Making Changes POETRY Poems about Great African-Americans Making Changes A Reading A–Z Poetry Book Word Count: 984 Poems about Great African-Americans Written by Dina Anastasio Visit www.readinga-z.com for thousands of books and materials www.readinga-z.com Making Changes Poems about Great African-Americans Written by Dina Anastasio Photo Credits: Front cover, title page, page 11: © Time Life Pictures/Getty Images; back cover: public domain/U.S Government; page (top right): public domain/Flickr; page (top left, bottom left, bottom right): Library of Congress; page 5: © Getty Images; page 7: Library of Congress; page 9: public domain/U.S Government; page 13: © NASA; page 15: © Focus on Sports/Getty Images; page 16 (top): fair use under United States copyright law; page 16 (middle, bottom): Library of Congress Making Changes: Poems about Great African-Americans A ReadingA–Z Poetry Book © 2007 ProQuest Information and Learning Company Written by Dina Anastasio All rights reserved www.readinga-z.com www.readinga-z.com Gwendolyn Brooks Gwendolyn Brooks stood by her window Watching the people on the steps down below The streets of Chicago were noisy and grimy, A hustling, bustling colorful show Children were skating and playing jacks on the sidewalk Gwendolyn carried her book to her bed They called her a reader, but really she wanted To learn how to skate and play jump rope instead Oprah Winfrey Jesse Jackson Jackie Robinson She loved to write poems and sometimes she dreamed Of seeing her poems in a real magazine Then somebody read one and liked what he saw He published her poem Gwen was only thirteen Martin Luther King Jr Making Changes Who are the people who have come before, The people who have struggled to unlock a door? People who have worked, people who have tried People who have fought, people who have died Courageous and strong, they took on the fight To change all the things they knew were not right Many have battled This book shows a few Who have opened a door for me and for you She never forgot what she’d seen from that window She wrote of the things that she once used to know Her poems painted pictures of the poor and their struggles, And the joy of the children who played jacks down below Thurgood Marshall When Thurgood Marshall was in the first grade He wasn’t shy and he wasn’t afraid His first name was Thoroughgood, which he thought sounded wrong So he cut out some letters and said, “It’s short now, not long!” Thurgood and his father met often to chat Arguing this Debating about that Sometimes they laughed Sometimes they collided “I’ll be a lawyer,” Thurgood decided Thurgood Marshall was the grandson of a slave He learned to use words, not fists, to be brave When somebody said “We don’t like your color,” He shrugged, turned his back, and studied even harder As a lawyer and a justice on the highest court in the land He brought people together by taking a stand “No person should hear ‘No! You cannot come in Because of your religion or your color of skin.’ “ Condoleezza Rice Condoleezza Rice travels the world as the United States Secretary of State She works to solve problems between countries and people She works to unravel disputes and debates Condi loved the piano when she was a girl Her mother and grandmother taught her to play Her parents were teachers They told her of places In distant countries she often visits today Condi worked hard when she was a girl She learned about people in all kinds of schools She learned about differences and how to behave She learned to solve conflicts through many good tools She still plays the piano She still loves to read And whenever the world seems too crazy and wild, She thinks of her parents and all that they taught her She remembers the tools she learned as a child Gordon Parks Gordon Parks’ family was a daily invasion, An upside-down noisy, exciting occasion Sixteen kids in a house, which was really quite small, Can spin any home round and round like a squall Money was scarce There was rarely enough Gordon knew growing up without things can be tough His family was strong Each one helped the others He learned how to work for his sisters and brothers Later, when Gordon spoke of his youth, He remembered the fun and his search for the truth He remembered his parents, saying “Please, always try To be honest and truthful, and never tell lies.” When he was older, he bought a camera one day He called it his weapon to show others the way With each picture he snapped, Parks took a stand Against the poverty and racism he’d experienced firsthand 10 Mae C Jemison When Mae was a child she examined the stars She read about Mercury, Neptune, and Mars She grappled with questions, tried to understand, And dreamt about travels to far-distant lands Science enthralled her She studied and yearned To teach other people the things that she’d learned She became a physician and traveled the world, To places she’d dreamed of when she was a girl Then something happened one wonderful day The telephone rang and she heard someone say, “You’ve been chosen to fly on a mission to space.” At last she would visit that mysterious place Up in space, Mae remembered all of those nights When she’d lain on her back and gazed up at the lights And now she was up there, a bit closer to Mars, Looking down at the Earth, looking out at the stars 11 12 Arthur Ashe When he was a boy, Arthur was thin, With a burning desire to try hard and win When he picked up a racket, he tried and he could Hit the ball with a vengeance He knew he was good But down in the South, when he was a boy, Competitive tennis was for whites to enjoy Arthur had talent, a superb athlete, But he’d have to move north if he was to compete Arthur moved north with the help of a friend He played and he won, again and again Respectful and quiet, gentle and composed, He opened doors to the South that had often been closed Like many before him, he taught others to see That working and trying often carry the key With each winning point Arthur Ashe seemed to say, “Tennis is a game everyone can play.” 13 14 Rosa Parks Keys of Change How can you change things? What can you do? If you read about others, you can make changes too Rosa Parks made the choice not to give up her seat Jackie Robinson kept playing He refused to retreat Paul Robeson fought on when they said “You can’t sing!” Martin Luther King told the world “Let freedom ring.” Harriet Tubman showed others the way to be free Langston Hughes wrote poems that helped others to see Harriet Tubman Langston Hughes So remember the people who struggled before Remember each one who has unlocked a door 15 16 ... copyright law; page 16 (middle, bottom): Library of Congress Making Changes: Poems about Great African-Americans A ReadingA–Z Poetry Book © 2007 ProQuest Information and Learning Company Written.. .Making Changes Poems about Great African-Americans Written by Dina Anastasio Photo Credits: Front cover,... one and liked what he saw He published her poem Gwen was only thirteen Martin Luther King Jr Making Changes Who are the people who have come before, The people who have struggled to unlock a door?