A Poem On Racism?

Question

I need a poem based on racism. Based on supporting this thesis: " An Individual's racial views are influenced by their parents."
Any poem by and actual poet that is published would be nice.
Thanks! Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Answer 1

Why ? So it can be taken out of context as usual and make you to be the bad guy ? I'd stay away from that subject, no matter what a white person says, its taken as racist. period.

Answer 2

You taught me at an early age to be polite and to respect
All people who surrounded me
Well I though that's what you meant

Through my early childhood
you picked and chose my friends
making sure I didn't play with someone who'd offend

Your PTA, your golfing club
people on the street
worried more of what they'd think of you
than two kids playing hide and seek

You'd pull me in and tell me
they aren't like us we're much better
you bannished without knowing them
like they wore a scarlet letter

As I've grown I've realized
alot I have missed out
good friends and real confindants
you've snubbed without a dount

And now I am much older, removed those blinders from my eyes
found that people are like packages
to you they can surprise

Now I keep my head up, smile when the feelings there
don't care if they're living on the street or have a reagal air
to me we're all just human, looking for the same damn thing
to be loved and accepted for who they are and not judged by their skin

Answer 3

One of the best known poets out of the Harlem Renaissance was Langston Hughes. Try reading his poem "Harlem" and think about what metaphors he is using to convey the plight of discrimination faced by African Americans through the rhetorical question of "What happens to a dream deferred?"
http://www.poetryfoundation.org/archive/poem.html?id=175884

Although to relate it to your thesis, you may have to delve into a bit of Hughes biography to get information about his upbringing. Maybe "parents" is too specific and you should change it to "environment"?

If you do a search on "Langston Hughes" biography you should get plenty of hits.

If that specific poem doesn't meet your needs, here is a link from the same web site that lists a lot more poems (written by established poets) that address the subject of race.
http://www.poetryfoundation.org/archive/tool.poem.cat.7.1.html?id=91

Answer 4

William Henry Grayson "The Hireling and the Slave" written before the Civil War. He was a slaveowner and widely published author. This poem was his answer to Uncle Tom's Cabin.
The poem isn't great verse and it's blatantly political. But it certainly reflects the views of his slave-owning parents!

Answer 5

Wow that's difficult. Uh the only poem I can think of on an even controversial topic would be "Ain't I A Woman" - and it was more of a speech - by Sojourner Truth. She spoke it during the feminist movement. I don't know if that'll help any though.

Answer 6

Wow, Masha Allah. effective poem. And Louie, what makes you think of residing house replaced into sturdy? I come from a rustic the place Buddhists and Hindus are combating out - yet a approach or the different, us Muslims and Christians are caught in that mess. the only component that concerns to me approximately my u . s . is my relatives. residing house replaced into sturdy returned then. yet a conflict zone can not be my residing house anymore.

Answer 7

Today i fight the nigers,
i see nigers bloods on the shovels of our digers,
i see ******* being layed into the cold sand,
i say too my self god has taken another niger man,
i say **** heaven gods ****** heaven,
i dont need heaven i got the great hell7,
god can despire me he can rip me up into,
he can rips my sould but my heart he cant get through,
he may lay my body in the ground,
but my pride he will never tear down,
so i fill up my life with hate and rage,
so if you look in my mind welcome too the WHITE page.


http://www.americanpoems.com/searches/r/8
go on this website it will really help it gives you tons of racial poetry