Hip Hop Speaks To Children: A Celebration of Poetry with a Beat
Giovanni, Nikki. 2008. Hip Hop Speaks to Children: A Celebration of Poetry with a Beat. Naperville, Ill.: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky. ISBN 978-1-4022-1048-8.
Review
Editor Giovanni has created a wonderful poetry book with a beat. The book contains 51 poems all with an African American tone. African American history is taught through poems such as "The Rosa Parks" and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. "I Have a Dream" speech is introduced in the poetry book as well. Not only is a lot of African American history taught but a lot of the African American cultured is covered with jazz and blue rhymes. There is a wonderful CD that accompanies 30 of the 51 poems. The CD has very popular artists ranging from Queen Latifah, Langston Hughes, and Kanye West. Most all of the poems contain a wide variety of topics including, inspirational, celebration of aloneness, people are equal, and all the poems are full of self esteem and motivation.
The illustrations are very different throughout the book because 5 different illustrators worked on the art work. All the poems are bright and colorful and really show the African American culture. This is one of the most wonderful poetry books that I have looked at. With poems that are packed full of history and culture of the African Americans this is a very educational poetry book. Children receive the entertainment value of the hip hop beat that the CD offers and the beautiful illustrations that bring it all together make this one of the most amazing poetry book I have read. Children will love to listen to the CD and follow along in the book. This is such a fun way to learn about history that children won't even realize they are learning so much about this fantastic time period and culture. All these poems in here were so powerful and struck me in a way that I never imagined possible. Each poem had their own meaning some sad about the time period and some happy and inspirational. I have to say that the one that hit me the most was the famous and classic speech written by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. I never considered his speech to be poetry but after reading through his speech it flows and is so moving is really one of the best poetic pieces that I have read. I don't think that children get a lot of exposure to it so I would like to share the most uplifting and amazing African American speech ever written with everyone again.
I Have a Dream
I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.
Five score year ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadows we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. But 100 years later we are still not free.
So we've come here today to dramatize a shameful condition. In a sense we've come to our nations' Capital to cash a check, When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir.
This not was a promise that all would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given a bad check; a check which has come back marked "insufficient funds." We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. So we have come to cash this check-a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice.
Let us not wallow in despair.
I say to you today, my friends, so even though we must face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream, that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "we hold these truths to be self-evident; that all are created equal."
I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.
I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.
I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight.
This is our hope. This is the faith that I will go back to the South with. With this faith we will be able to work together, to play together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.
So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the snowcapped Rockies of Colorado! Let freedom ring from the slopes of California!
And when we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual. "Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!
Classroom/Library Connection
Recommended audience: Ages 8 and up
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is a great way to introduce poetry and teach them about a very important time in history. I would read this poem to introduce black history month. I can’t say that I ever remember hearing his entire speech read out loud in school and I think it should have been. This is a powerful way to introduce the subject and is a great attention grabber.
Before reading: Ask children if they know who Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is. Ask them if they know what he did for the African American population. Show them a picture of who this famous man in and give them a little history behind him.
During reading: Read the poem to them slowly so that they can understand it all and truly think about the deep impact that it had. Ask them if they understand what the speech is about. Ask if he was brave for giving that speech.
Reread the poem: The second time around read the poem and have children listen for all the meanings in the poem. Have them pick out there favorite part.
After reading: Have them write their own I have a dream speech. Have them share their speeches. Discuses if their speeches hold the impact that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. speech did. Children could also research what happened during and after his speech depending on the age group.
There are so many different possibilities with this poem and this part of history. So many things can be discussed and so many projects can be done. Sharing this poem with children will have great impact on them and you will see it come alive in them. I would recommend sharing this poem/speech with all children!
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