Affirmative Action Blues by Elizabeth Alexander
‘Affirmative Action Blues’ appears in Elizabeth Alexander’s Body of Life (1996). This poem is about the incident of police brutality on Rodney King in 1991.
The Tradition by Jericho Brown
The Tradition is the titular poem from Pulitzer Prize winner Jericho Brown’s poetry collection. It brings to light the maltreatment of African Americans in the present US, while relating it to the past.
The Indian Hunter by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Through ‘The Indian Hunter,’ H. W. Longfellow tells a story rarely told in his time: the story of land thefts and injustices for the Native American people.
Cousin Kate by Christina Rossetti
‘Cousin Kate’ speaks to the circumstance of women during the Victorian era. The period in which Rossetti wrote this poem makes the message all the more meaningful.
Boston Hymn by Ralph Waldo Emerson
Emerson composed ‘Boston Hymn’ in late 1862, just before the emancipation proclamation. Through this poem, Emerson warns Americans of their wrongs and gives them a chance to repent of all crimes against freedom.
