Taught By:
Crystal Zanders
Doctoral student, neurodivergent poet, educator, and activist
Course Description:
In Poetic Activism I & II, we learned how BIPOC poets are harnessing the power of their work to fight for equality and justice. In Poetic Activism III, we are moving beyond learning what other poets are doing and putting our principles into action. We are moving from studying poetic activist to becoming poetic activist. As the saying goes, “this ain’t yo mamma’s” poetry class. This is a class for poets (page and stage), poetry-lovers, and/or activists interested in poetry. It will benefit you to have taken Poetic Activism I or II, but neither course is required to participate in Poetic Activism III.
Each week, we will read and/or view a few exemplary poems which we will use to write our own works. We will balance our work as poets with our work as activists. Each student will work individually or as a team on a social justice project that we will develop together. This course is about experiential learning. We will journal about our experiences throughout the semester. The final in this class will be a poetry portfolio and a presentation of activism projects. By the end of the semester, students will have real-life experiences as poetic activists. They will have the experience and training to continue to make positive changes in our world.
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