I have decided to teach Dave’s song ‘Black’ as a cultural poem to my class tomorrow to mark the end of term. I love this song, and I have a clear idea on how I want to deliver it as an English lesson, but I want to do it maximum justice as it is a very sensitive topic, particularly these days.

What are your thoughts on the song and what ideas and themes would you focus on? The first angle that I want to focus on is the misrepresentation of black culture and the whitewashing of history.

Tell me more about certain ideas, particularly historical black royalty and lineage that is obfuscated by the media and the history books. Fans of Nas will understand this idea closely.

The song for those who have not heard this masterpiece:

This is the version I am going to use in class tomorrow (clean live version):

Thank you in advance

Edit: Thank you all for your help yesterday. The lesson today was fab. One of my students said that the song almost made her cry. Was a really powerful experience for the students, and they were all so great and mature. Could not have done it as well as I did without the advice in here. Thank you again

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Final edit:

Finished the poem today. Just thought I would share the lesson due to the awesome feedback, advice and reception here:

I mentioned a lot of the stuff that you guys were saying ITT as we broke down the poem. A lot of the kids (I taught this to two classes so over 60 kids in total) felt really emotional at the end. So many great comments on how it’s time we made a change and all sorts of wholesome stuff. It was a great experience and definitely the most rewarding one of my career so far.

Thank you all again.

@op is extremely real for this. Dave one of the best out now

I think u already on the right path, white washing of black history, misrepresentation of africa in western media, the overall diaspora, families being ripped from each other. You can also add in the struggle that is instilled in black people due to their circumstances and tie in how no matter the odds we succeed and reference prominent black figures. Just some ideas

He really is. And a crucial voice that deserves to be used as an example of top-tier poetry just want to do him justice tomorrow and Friday.

Yes yes yes. Thank you

Dave a legend man

“and tie in how no matter the odds we succeed” - this is really important. I don’t want it to be just a session where we all sit and pity black people and fetishise their oppression (especially when I have black students). I think there should be a focus on the empowering elements in the poem also.

good s*** op imma check this out and give u some advice i love s*** like this.

whats the name of the course this is for if you don’t mind sharing?

English Literature we have been exploring poetry from a variety of cultural backgrounds since after Christmas. We have two lessons left, so I wanted to end on a rap song to bring this s*** into 2020/2021.

damn that’s crazy i just started my semester a few weeks ago.

you plan on connecting these songs to specific texts?

yo my nigga got a pet hyena in the video

im tryna cop one

And tbh, as a new English teacher working under a curriculum that is heavily old white and male dominated, I am always trying to find ways to work around the barriers and amplify certain voices. Dave is a perfect example of someone who makes art of merit that deserves to be used in the classroom for me.

My students were shocked that I even knew who he was I was like... I have the physicals and saw him live

Song is a masterpiece

Yeah especially consider you're speaking to kids. We know that not all black folks beat the odds but i think it's pretty good to instill hope in the future generation and not be so cynical in the matter. But salute to you for the doing the good work

Love love

It’s one of the main reasons I wanted to be a teacher. Make a difference and amplify certain voices and messages.

Nah just a standalone unit. Doing Shakespeare after this term

wow super proud of you op...

haven’t taught a class in so long, i’m only in my undergrad so i don’t get to really have opportunities like that, esp with covid

i think you already have a great plan, the track is fire. if you can link it to maybe some du bois double consciousness theory or something like that, you’d really go the extra mile.

hardest part about s*** like this is keeping it positive. always feel like “black issues” be doom and gloom”, so if u can end on some uplifting takeaways then you’re perfect

love hearing s*** like this man we need more black educators, especially men

as a young nigga i’m looking up to you fr keep going

“hardest part about s*** like this is keeping it positive. always feel like “black issues” be doom and gloom”, so if u can end on some uplifting takeaways then you’re perfect”

100% agree. I don’t want it to become a dynamic where we sit and spout platitudes and messages of pity and then just forget about it next week. There needs to be an honest discussion about the s*** that is happening now and connecting it to BLM, historical struggle, etc. Yet, there needs to be a celebration of black voices like Dave, Rashford, Stormzy, etc. Those who are really making cultural waves and impacting the sociopolitical climate in such a positive and much-needed way. A lot of my students are heavily invested in social and identity politics, so they have the foundational knowledge to access the poem.

Sorry man, but I am white, hence why I wanted to post here and get some perspectives from black posters to try and do this the most justice possible. It means a lot to me, even though I can never fully understand. I will let Dave’s voice and message do the talking and just guide the students to a***yse the literary techniques and poetic stuff.

ah i see but i do appreciate your effort and respect your honesty

@op a good guy

That’s means a lot. Thank you

We need A LOT more black teachers in the UK. Asap. It’s probably better down south, but where I am in the north, I only ever had one black teacher in my entire school life - Jamaican lady. She was the GOAT.

great stuff bro 🤞

PSYCHODRAMA out now

The line about erasing the truth of the black race would be a good segue into some examples of that ‘forgotten’ history that isnt taught. One example i can think of would be Samuel Sharpe, who led the jamaican slave rebellion during the 1800s.

Ask yourself why isnt he taught reguarly? What is taught when it comes to slavery? That blacks have been happy slaves until the civil rights movement, and thats when they became ‘barbaric’ and going ‘against the grain’ instead of being a passive and accepting community of discrimination. Look at how MLK is as a cultural figure compared to Malcolm X. He was more democratic but they stood for the same cause. Its like even when challenging racist ideologies you have to do it in a way where you’re still kind of conforming

This mentality is still expected of black people today. To never celebrate their blackness but to he passive bystanders, and if youre not passive then you’ll be labelled as a thug. (Which theres countless examples of). This was more of a tangent than an explored point but yeah