ABSTRACT
Several years ago I was a guest speaker in a tenth grade English class and, there, I asked, “Who is Alice Walker?” Students raised their hands with fervor. As they muttered responses to each other, I proceeded to follow up with another question. “Who is June Jordan?” This time, not one hand came up and the room grew silent. Some seemed curious, while others seemed uninterested. Then I held up a poster with Jordan’s picture and read the accompanying text, “Inaugural June Jordan Poetry Prize Contest for 9th and 10th graders sponsored by Alice Walker and the Westside Unified School District. Submit your poem.”1 The teacher of this tenth grade class had invited me into her classroom to introduce the contest and to discuss with students the historical relevance of a new effort in urban classrooms. The year was 2003.
