ABSTRACT
While physical violence against Black bodies is steeped in history, the resurgence of images of beatings and killings of Black children and adults has spurred the Black Lives Matter (BLM) and Say Her Name (SHN) movements, which aim to humanize Black people and make evident the damage caused by the violence committed against Black people over time. This chapter draws on the work of BLM and SHN activists and critical theorists to describe a small-group, dialogic literature circle activity to teach Sharon Draper’s historical fiction young adult novel, Copper Sun, in the secondary English/language arts (ELA) classroom. The small-group literature circle strategy engages students in close reading of and dialogue about Copper Sun to consider what and how historical forms of violence—especially against Black women—were used to enforce and uphold slavery. Students are then encouraged to read a contemporary BLM YA novel to make connections between historical forms of physical violence, violence against Black bodies that continues today, and the ongoing silence in YA literature about police violence toward Black girls and women.
