Poetry's Power & Civil Rights Movement

​Poetry's Power & The Civil Rights Movement

2.4.1

Yesterday's Poll Results

Yesterday's Poll Results

Open Ended

Today, people use social media to share ideas and fight for change. During the Civil Rights Movement, people used poetry and art to do the same.

How are poetry and art similar to social media as ways to inspire change? How are they different?

Why do you think people choose these methods to share their message?

• to link parts of a compound word;

• to join two or more adjectives when they come before a noun and act as a single idea; and

• in compound terms or prefixes.

​Hyphen -

• emphasize a point;

• mark the beginning and ending of a series;

• set off extra information; and

• mark interruptions in dialogue.

Dash —

Multiple Choice

Which sentence correctly uses a dash?

• The poet’s words - powerful and moving - echoed through the crowd.

• The poet’s words—powerful and moving—echoed through the crowd.

• The poet’s words powerful—and moving—echoed through the crowd.

• The poet’s words powerful and moving—echoed through the crowd.

• Poet who writes about significant historical and cultural themes. 

• Her debut poetry collection, And We Rise, was released in February 2022. 

• The collection explores the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s. 

• Martin uses dates as poem titles, referencing key historical events. 

• She addresses events such as Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech and the end of Reconstruction in the South. 

Erica Martin

• Reconstruction (1865–1877): Federal government enforced civil rights and new laws in the South. 

• Black Americans gained political power: voted, held office, shaped constitutions. 

• Compromise of 1877: Ended Reconstruction; federal troops withdrew. 

• Afterward, white supremacist groups and lawmakers used violence and discriminatory laws (poll taxes, literacy tests) to suppress Black rights. 

​

​Reconstruction Era

"It's 1877 When"

How does Martin use punctuation, repetition, & spacing to communicate her ideas?

Multiple Select

Which of the following answers express the overall message or theme of this poem? (2 correct)

• Laws alone don’t end racism—real change needs enforcement and commitment.

• It celebrates Civil Rights victories and reminds us of the value of hard work.

• It critiques systemic racism and calls for action beyond legal decisions to achieve equality.

• It claims the Civil Rights Movement was led by the U.S. Army and soldiers on the front lines.