Poetry as Pedagogy: Poetry at the Intersection of Feminism and Black Power: Audre Lorde & June Jordan

Poetry at the Intersection of Feminism and Black Power: Audre Lorde & June Jordan  

This workshop will focus on the Black feminist poetics of two New York poets and activists: Audre Lorde and June Jordan. We will begin with Lorde’s definition of poetics as a necessary means of social action and liberation for women in her 1977 essay “Poetry is Not a Luxury” where she writes: “Poetry is the way we help give name to the nameless so it can be thought. The farthest horizons of our hopes and fears are cobbled in our poems, carved from the rock experiences of our daily lives.” Thinking about the poetics of personal experience informing a socio-political analysis, we will close-read several poems by Lorde and Jordan, including Jordan’s memorial poem, “In Memoriam: Martin Luther King, Jr.,” a condemnation of the country that murdered a Black radical like King, written from a feminist perspective.  

Participants in this workshop will explore how poetry can provide an entry point to the history of Black feminism and leave with tools for using poetry to teach activist legacies, as well as essential skills of poetry pedagogy.  

Potential Curriculum Connections: The Role of Art in the Civil Rights Movement; Heritage of the Harlem Rennaissance; Black Arts Movement.

All are Welcome! While this workshop series is geared toward educators of grades 6-12, it is open to all - educators and non-educators. Attendance at all three workshops is not required! Everyone is welcome to participate in any individual workshop. 

2 CTLE hours for eligible participants. CTLE forms will be available at the workshop.

About the Poets:

Audre Lorde (1934-1992) was born in Harlem and lived in New York City throughout her life. She often described herself as a “Black lesbian warrior poet” and dedicated her life, writing, and teaching to dismantling the interconnected injustices of racism, sexism, classism, and homophobia. Her many books include the essay collection Sister Outsider (1984), the autobiography Zami: A New Spelling for My Name (1982), and the poetry collection The Black Unicorn (1978). 

June Jordan (1936-2002) was a poet and activist who grew up in Brooklyn and spent much of her life in New York City. An outspoken Black feminist in her poetry and teaching, she advocated for liberation throughout her life. Her books include the poetry collection Things That I do in the Dark (1977), the biography Fannie Lou Hamer (1972), and June Jordan’s Poetry for the People: A Revolutionary Blueprint (1995).  

About the Facilitator:

Sylvia Gorelick (she/they) is a poet, translator, and PhD candidate at NYU. Sylvia has been an active participant in New York poetry worlds for over 15 years. Her research focuses on revolutionary feminisms in a transnational context and includes a focus on poetry of the city.