The common topic of chosen poems is social problems and the idea of brotherhood between the Black men dedicated to solving them. It is consonant with the current Black Lives Matter movement, which emerged as the idea of social and racial equity and equal opportunities for all and is possible the largest movement in U.S. history (Buchanan et al., 2020). This topic can be called Black solidarity, and its main idea is the equity of opportunities and respect for everyone’s life and experience.
- I Sing of Shine (Etheridge Knight). The poem is about the black guy who fled the drowning Titanic, laughing at those who were drowning with the ship, while before, they are laughing at him due to his skin color and social status. This connects it with the idea of the current protests against injustice and other social problems that those who mock others should be limited to.
- Rhythm Blues (Amiri Baraka). In the short poem, where the lyrical hero is shown in different forms while remaining depressed because the world’s issues, such as capitalism and racism, threaten to kill him. In that way, its idea correlates with current protests, which are dedicated to equity and highlight problems of capitalism.
- Sanctuaries for the Deacon’s Sons (Gary Copeland Lilley). This poem describes a man, presumably Black, who confesses that his life is full of drugs, hard work, worries, and crimes. Current protests are concerned with the question of social problems and justice, in that way, being consonant with the idea of the poem.
- Black Jack: b. 31 March 1878* (Kevin Young). The poet expresses that he underwent different mockeries but still has reached popularity through his poetry while being Black, emphasizing that he is proud of his skin color, not shy. One of the ideas of current protests is equal opportunities: in that way, the idea of this poem is accordant with them.
- The Lost Boys: A Requiem (Reginald Harris). In this poem, the poet mentions his friends, whom he calls brothers, who are either deceased or got into hard circumstances, such as drug abuse, jail, or fatal diseases. This, again, connects it with the idea of the current protests: they were initially dedicated to the Black man who died in hard circumstances.
References
Baraka, A. (2016). S O S: Poems 1961–2013. Grove Press.
Buchanan, L., Bui, Q., & Patel, J. K. (2020). Black Lives Matter may be the largest movement in U.S. history. The New York Times.
Harris, R. (2013). Autobiography: Poems. Northwestern University Press.
Knight, E. (1986). The essential Etheridge Knight (Pitt Poetry Series) (1st ed.). University of Pittsburgh Press.
Lilley, G. C. (2004). The subsequent blues (1st ed.). Four Way Books.
Young, K. (1998). Jack Johnson. Callaloo, 21(1), 31–42.