vanessa's project.
v. pratt does amazing things. check out her protest lit project:
self-critique
we wear rings of public plastic
yellow, purple, green, rainbow
taking back the night
saving darfur
living strong
we carry nalgenes,
un-well behaved women making history
kissing girls
masturbating for peace
we don t-shirts to our knees
loving being black
uniting potheads
priding marriage
we know that the war was staged
that genocide did not end with hitler
that in urban areas, more black men are incarcerated than in college
we believe that the right to choose is a woman's
that institutionalized commitment should be for all
that the survival of public education is democracy's only hope
and stoned we sit prophesizing about what we know is right
about equality and beauty and change
about progress and racism and political chocolate
we take to the streets ordering bush out of our vaginas
demanding salaries that allow sustainable life
hoping on a rushed dandilioned breath that this time we will again escape the handcuffs of the jail that isn't ours
we are cosmopolitan and eloquent and youthfully arrogant
inspired and inspiring and so so young
energized by sunsets and kisses and injustice
but can our button covered backpacks,
our propagandized words,
our sloganed bumpers
do anything?
while our fingers type essay-form creeds on thousand dollar laptops,
how can we expect that our 10 will change the world
that our bit of progressive preaching will affect policy?
how can we justfy $42,000 a year for theory and kegs when teachers make half that?
when that is three times more than a single mother working full time at minimum wage earns?
when her children are present-less at christmas and hungry in bed?
how can we rant about housing discrimination as we lounge in dorm rooms the size of 2 family inner-city apapartments?
would we deny ourselves comfort? privilege? would we give up jeans sewn by 4 year olds, blood stained coffee, or our beloved system of promotion based on wealth that will always put us on top?
are we doing enough?
yellow, purple, green, rainbow
taking back the night
saving darfur
living strong
we carry nalgenes,
un-well behaved women making history
kissing girls
masturbating for peace
we don t-shirts to our knees
loving being black
uniting potheads
priding marriage
we know that the war was staged
that genocide did not end with hitler
that in urban areas, more black men are incarcerated than in college
we believe that the right to choose is a woman's
that institutionalized commitment should be for all
that the survival of public education is democracy's only hope
and stoned we sit prophesizing about what we know is right
about equality and beauty and change
about progress and racism and political chocolate
we take to the streets ordering bush out of our vaginas
demanding salaries that allow sustainable life
hoping on a rushed dandilioned breath that this time we will again escape the handcuffs of the jail that isn't ours
we are cosmopolitan and eloquent and youthfully arrogant
inspired and inspiring and so so young
energized by sunsets and kisses and injustice
but can our button covered backpacks,
our propagandized words,
our sloganed bumpers
do anything?
while our fingers type essay-form creeds on thousand dollar laptops,
how can we expect that our 10 will change the world
that our bit of progressive preaching will affect policy?
how can we justfy $42,000 a year for theory and kegs when teachers make half that?
when that is three times more than a single mother working full time at minimum wage earns?
when her children are present-less at christmas and hungry in bed?
how can we rant about housing discrimination as we lounge in dorm rooms the size of 2 family inner-city apapartments?
would we deny ourselves comfort? privilege? would we give up jeans sewn by 4 year olds, blood stained coffee, or our beloved system of promotion based on wealth that will always put us on top?
are we doing enough?
posted by Shawna at 7:24 PM
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