Alice Walker’s poem “Calling All Grand Mothers”, inspired Lawndale to make their own calls this week. The theme was Calls To Action, bringing people together to make things happen. After having students brainstorm all the communities they consider themselves part of (age, culture, family, activities, neighborhood, etc.) they identified a group they wanted to gather, and what this gathering would accomplish. In addition to the diversity of groups chosen, there were many kinds of calls to action. There were calls for change, help, awareness, and much more. This is just a taste.
Ms. Barker
6th Grade
“Calling All Friends”
by Ji’Mia W.
We all may live different lives but if we come
together as in “calling all friends” we can
change the world. We can change how people
think, think about themselves and other people
we can change now
Ms. Barker
8th Grade – Section B
“Calling All Teenagers”
by Priscella H.
We glare disgustingly at ourselves in
the mirror. We claim to have ‘hip-dips’
and that we don’t have ‘legging legs.’
We wonder if we’re ‘fox pretty’ or
‘deer pretty.’ We’ll call ourselves ugly
when we’re barely a teenager. We
don’t care who started the trend
but we’re dying to know if we
fit in it. We chow on what the
media feeds us then make ourselves
vomit to be skinny. We listen with
no other explanation than ‘it’ll get
rid of this and that’ and when
it doesn’t work, they ask us to
buy another. I’d like to call all
teenagers and ask them this: why
do we hate ourselves so much? I would
ask them to stop dehumanizing
everyone for human things.
“Call In”
by Jada M.
Hi I’m Jada and I want to
call in all the people who want
to succeed in life, like the kids
who gave up or the kids who
chose gang banging. Deep down I
know all that is just a bunch of
makeup hiding from the truth.
I come from a place where it’s
gang banging on all streets when there
could be a change to that. I
personally want to be successful. So
let’s get together and create more
programs for these kids and
adults who feel as if they failed.
Ms. Barker
8th Grade – Section A
“Calling All Blacks”
by Kyra W.
I hate getting judged for being black
I walk in the store and get kicked
out ’cause I’m black
So let’s make this change to stop the
racism
Let’s start today right now no
need to wait
If we make this change we can help
and change future lives
Let’s start now.
“Need Help”
Melvin H.
I will call all black
people together to
help me and tell me
what to do and how
to do it like helping me
with my work and job
like supporting me
and getting together to do
some good and have fun
