Woke Wednesday Draft Lesson

One of the earliest assaults on segregated transit in the South occurred in Louisville, Ky., in 1870-71. There, the city’s black community organized a successful protest that relied on nonviolent direct action, a tactic that would give shape to the modern civil rights movement nearly a century later.

In this poem, the speaker traces the senseless killings taking place abroad and at home, with a particular focus on the African-American community. The speaker also calls communities to action to "grow our hope and heal our hearts" in order to live together in peace.

“He asked me, 'How many black jelly beans are in the jar...'”

“I remember a private swim club...”

“The next day, the police car pulled up and they said, 'We're taking y'all to jail.'”