Week 5: Freedom Over Me and Persona Poetry

Author/Illustrator: Ashley Bryan

Publisher: Atheneum Books

Copyright: 2016

"May our songs and stories keep alive in us the will to grow in learning. The longing to be free!"

Synopsis

Freedom Over Me is a remarkable children's picture book that tells the story of eleven slaves. Author, Ashley Bryan uses the historical, Fairchilds Appraisement of the Estate document from July 5, 1828 to create this story. Bryan wanted to create a book where the reader could hear the stories of several different slaves and their points of view. Bryan uses the document to bring the eleven slaves to life that were for sale in the Estate document along with cows, hogs, and cotton. Only the names of the slaves and their prices were listed in this slave document. Slaves were just viewed as property in 1828, but he wanted us to hear their side of the story as human beings. Bryan does an outstanding job at describing the fear and pain that the slaves felt as they were stolen from their homes and separated from their families. My heartstrings were pulled as I could feel the pain that each slave had to endure each day. Each of the eleven slaves are introduced with a portrait and a free verse poem to emphasize their words.

Stunning Illustrations:

Ashley Bryan brings each story to life with portraits of the eleven slaves. Bryan uses brightly colored drawings and mixed media to create the beautiful spreads in Freedom Over Me.

This illustration brings the culture of African music to life. Bryan allows the reader to view the slave, Qush, as human being with a love of African culture and music rather than a piece of property on sale for $100.

This spread also brings the culture of Africa to life. The reader can observe Charlotte making baskets for her owners. However, she is using her craft to bring her heritage to life and remind herself of her village in Africa.

Classroom Connections

As educators, we often find slavery to be a sensitive topic to teach. Many students are just presented with facts about slavery and shown horrific images as they learn about this inhumane part of history. As educators, we must provide readings and visuals that support racial and cultural healing (Gardner, 2017). As we talk about such a sensitive topic, we have to allow opportunities for students to ask questions and spark discussions. "Images can provide synthesis and renewal, but without opportunities to ask questions or express emotions, they can also create a crisis in meaning and identity (Alexander, 2004)."

Freedom Over Me provides an excellent gateway for student discussions and questions. Bryan exposes children to characters with strong cultural identities. As students are reading through this picture book, we should initiate questions such as (Gardner, 2017):

1. What is happening in this picture?

2. What do you see that makes you say that?

3. How does what you see make you feel?

4. What does seeing this image make you wonder?

5. What questions do you have about what is happening, and what would you change in this picture?

Text Connections

Another text that provides racial and cultural healing is Freedom in Congo Square by Carole Boston Weatherford and illustrated by R. Gregory Christie. Weatherford brings slave's cultural identities to life in this children's picture book. The slaves in this story work relentlessly in 19th century Louisiana. They all strive to reach Sunday when they are able to congregate in Congo Square in New Orleans. They feel free for one day to forget their oppression and struggles to dance, sing, and play music. The author shows the reader the type of work the slaves had to endure during the week from chopping logs to plucking hens. However, the author also allows the reader to see the slaves as human beings with feelings and cares. This allows the reader to develop empathy and look at the world through a "critical lens".

Ashley Bryan reads his book "Beautiful Blackbird" to a group of students. This book encourages readers to focus on their inside appearance rather than their outside appearance.

Persona Poems

A persona poem is a poem that is written by the reader of a story as they take on the identity of a character. Persona poems allow a reader to analyze a character's experiences and feelings to develop empathy and reflection. "We envision the wardrobe of persona poetry to be one means of bridging the gap for students who look out of the metaphorical book window but have yet to move through the sliding glass door to imaginatively inhabit the character’s world. (Frye et al., 2018)" Freedom Over Me is a great mentor text for students to use as they learn how to write and understand persona poems. Bryan uses historical context to develop feelings and personality traits for slaves in the 1800s. Readers can use this text to inspire them to write their own persona poems. Using mentor texts will allow students to be engaged in the poetry writing process. "Persona poems provide students with experiences that engender emotional receptivity; imagining and rewriting characters into “being” give voice to those that otherwise may have remained “them.” (Frye et al,. 2018) "

A Crack in the Sea: Persona Poem

After reading A Crack in the Sea, I took on the identity of a character named Pip to write a Persona Poem. Pip is a character that struggles during social interactions because he has difficulty recognizing faces around him. His sister, Kinchen, looks out for him by helping him avoid large crowds. However, Pip has something very special inside of him. He has the magical power to speak with sea-creatures. In the book, he turns from a timid boy to one that earns respect as he helps the Raft King.

A link to the template I used to create my poem:

https://asulearn.appstate.edu/pluginfile.php/122114/mod_page/content/30/Persona%20Poem%20Assignment.pdf

Pip

I am a brother and a child

I live on the Islands of Tathenn with low jagged cliffs and old bays

I wonder what’s wrong with me

I hear the strange conversations that I am excluded from

I see unrecognizable faces surrounding me

I want to make my sister proud

I’m as timid as a sea-snail

I am a brother, a child, nervous, and curious

I question the intentions of the Raft King

I feel the comfort of the ocean beneath me

I taste spicy greens and root vegetables at the feast in MY HONOR

I worry about the fear Kinchen is enduring

I excel at talking to my sea-creature friends

I understand the duty I have as the new envoy from Tathenn

I am a brother, a child, adventurous, and determined

I say I will help the Raft King if he promises to help the people

I believe the door to the first world is left open

I dream of feeling as powerful as I do underwater

I try to use the magic inside of me for good

I hope to bring solace to the people of Raftworld and their King

I was once timid and shy

But now I am proud and respected

I am a brother and a child

References

Frye, E. M., Hardin, B. L., Bouwman, H. M., & Stumb, A. E. (2018). Walking Into the Wardrobe and Through the Sliding Glass Door: Writing Persona Poems with A Crack in the Sea. Voices from the Middle, 26(2), 46–52.

Gardner, R. P. (2017). Discussing Racial Trauma Using Visual Thinking Strategies . Language Arts Lessons, 94(5), 338–345.

Alexander, J. C. (2004). Toward a theory of cultural trauma. In J. C. Alexander, R. Eyerman, B. Giesen, N. J. Smelser, & P. Sztompka, Cultural trauma and collective identity (pp. 1–30). Berkeley, CA: University of California Press.