8 - Lucille Clifton & The Civil Rights Movement

A Verse Reaction

Episode Summary: Dr. Beebe interviews Dr. Kenneth Bryant about the American Civil Rights Movement. She then applies this context to four poems by Lucille Clifton: “good times,” “generations,” “listen children,” and “All of Us Are All of Us.”

Part 1 (Biography & Overview) Starts: 00.00

Part 2 (Interview with Dr. Kenneth Bryant) Starts: 10:45

Part 3 (Four Poems) Starts: 20:16

Dr. Beebe’s LinkedIn URL: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ann-beebe

Emily Dickinson: A Companion: https://mcfarlandbooks.com/product/emily-dickinson/

12-Question Survey for Readers: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/R2TGWNM

Dr. Kenneth Bryant

1. Associate Professor of Political Science at UT-Tyler for 7 years.

2. 2023 recipient of the Regents' Outstanding Teaching Award (ROTA)

3. An educator, political junkie, and film enthusiast.

Publications:

1. Co-author of "Battle for the Heart of Texas: Political Change in the Electorate"

2. Working on a book project called "Is There A Bright Side?" on approaches to teaching government and political science in times of immense polarization.

Resources:

The Lucille Clifton House - https://www.thecliftonhouse.org/

Clifton, Lucille. The Collected Poems of Lucille Clifton, 1965-2010. BOA Editions, 2012

Holladay, Hilary. Wild Blessings: The Poetry of Lucille Clifton. LSU Press, 2012.

Lucille Clifton Video, “What Poetry Is” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfYCRZ9LVh4

Lucille Clifton reads “won’t you celebrate with me” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XM7q_DUk5wU

History Channel on the Civil Rights Movement - https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/civil-rights-movement

The Black Church (PBS) - https://www.pbs.org/show/black-church/