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This project was created with the hope of getting materials for a new take on an existing unit. The original unit focused on the central text "Fist, Stick, Knife, Gun" written by Geoffrey Canada. The reason I am seeking new texts is that the aforementioned text by Geoffrey Canada presents a disserving narrative to students. In short, the text is a narrative non-fiction piece about a young Black boy in the Bronx, for whom "personal responsibility" and "bootstrapping" were ladders out of poverty, gang life, and violence. This narrative is on its surface inspiring, but it encourages youth to believe that "bootstrapping" (the idea that any American can move up the social ladder if they only try hard and are respectable) and "personal responsibility" (the idea that if one is respectable and responsible they will succeed in social mobility, regardless of influences, environment, and crippling systems of control) are the best ways to make it in the world. The text fails to fully pin the root causes of "urban violence" on oppressive systems (de facto school segregation, racist policing practices, zero tolerance policies, redlining, hypermasculinity, etc.) and places fault on community members instead. In short, the book can be used to teach the standards, but the story imbues in Black and Brown kids the idea that there is little holding them back except themselves, which is an egregious lie. The texts I am hoping to earn are also stories of perseverance, but they do not fault the human beings for their situations; instead, they explore and condemn the many systemic causes for "urban" poverty and violence, while still centering self-empowerment. These texts will be used to teach California state standards; namely, evidence gathering and citation (RL.9-10.1), central idea (RL.9-10.2), and rhetorical appeal (RL.9-10.4).

About my class

This project was created with the hope of getting materials for a new take on an existing unit. The original unit focused on the central text "Fist, Stick, Knife, Gun" written by Geoffrey Canada. The reason I am seeking new texts is that the aforementioned text by Geoffrey Canada presents a disserving narrative to students. In short, the text is a narrative non-fiction piece about a young Black boy in the Bronx, for whom "personal responsibility" and "bootstrapping" were ladders out of poverty, gang life, and violence. This narrative is on its surface inspiring, but it encourages youth to believe that "bootstrapping" (the idea that any American can move up the social ladder if they only try hard and are respectable) and "personal responsibility" (the idea that if one is respectable and responsible they will succeed in social mobility, regardless of influences, environment, and crippling systems of control) are the best ways to make it in the world. The text fails to fully pin the root causes of "urban violence" on oppressive systems (de facto school segregation, racist policing practices, zero tolerance policies, redlining, hypermasculinity, etc.) and places fault on community members instead. In short, the book can be used to teach the standards, but the story imbues in Black and Brown kids the idea that there is little holding them back except themselves, which is an egregious lie. The texts I am hoping to earn are also stories of perseverance, but they do not fault the human beings for their situations; instead, they explore and condemn the many systemic causes for "urban" poverty and violence, while still centering self-empowerment. These texts will be used to teach California state standards; namely, evidence gathering and citation (RL.9-10.1), central idea (RL.9-10.2), and rhetorical appeal (RL.9-10.4).

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