Table of Contents
Portrait of Marsha P. Johnson
Bryn Connelly '23
Before Our Eyes
Emelia Burns '23
Untitled
Max Coles '23
Here I Stand
Grace Brenner '21
Untitled
Max Coles '21
Untitled
Ellie Siu '21
Say My Name
Grace Brenner '21
Our Lives
Grace Brenner '21
Portrait of Marsha P. Johnson
Bryn Connelly '23
Before Our Eyes
just when we think nothing else could hit our land,
another headline sits atop the news stand
people of color cry out everywhere
as the death of a friend leads to despair
millions of people want to speak their minds
and walk out their doors holding dozens of signs
we all scream "justice for floyd"
but the racists do nothing but avoid
america is crumbling right before our eyes
though some are blinded by the media’s lies
we’ve been ready for this all along
and despite all this, we come out strong
Emelia Burns '23
another headline sits atop the news stand
people of color cry out everywhere
as the death of a friend leads to despair
millions of people want to speak their minds
and walk out their doors holding dozens of signs
we all scream "justice for floyd"
but the racists do nothing but avoid
america is crumbling right before our eyes
though some are blinded by the media’s lies
we’ve been ready for this all along
and despite all this, we come out strong
Emelia Burns '23
Untitled
Max Coles '23
Here I Stand
*Written from the perspective of Atticus Finch in his closing statement to the jury of Tom Robinson’s trial--To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.
Here I Stand today before You
To tell You and to show--
That this man in Chains and Shackles
Is more Innocent than You know.
Here I Stand today before You
To present the dormant facts--
That this man is not the Monster
You’ve accused of heinous acts.
Here I Stand beside a Father
A Brother and a Son--
A Human whose most loving Heart
Turns Many into One--
And Here I’ll Stand for lifeless hours
Beside Him, with a Dream--
A Dream that what is Just and Right
In time, will Reign Supreme.
Here I Stand amidst the Faults
Of History and Now--
I Stand Here knowing what to do
But not yet knowing How--
I know this Man is Innocent
Yet all You see is Sin--
All You see is the Evil You’ve paired
With the color of His Skin.
So Here I Stand Today to ask You
For a Justice You Don’t Know--
Listen to His Beating Heart
And its Cover, let that Go--
I ask You Now to Do Your Duty
I ask You Now to Try--
Hold tight to Your Beautiful Conscience
And before You sit, ask Why--
Ask why I Stand before You all
On this clear and moonlit Night--
For once You see the Soul beside me,
I Know You’ll Do What’s Right.
Grace Brenner '21
Here I Stand today before You
To tell You and to show--
That this man in Chains and Shackles
Is more Innocent than You know.
Here I Stand today before You
To present the dormant facts--
That this man is not the Monster
You’ve accused of heinous acts.
Here I Stand beside a Father
A Brother and a Son--
A Human whose most loving Heart
Turns Many into One--
And Here I’ll Stand for lifeless hours
Beside Him, with a Dream--
A Dream that what is Just and Right
In time, will Reign Supreme.
Here I Stand amidst the Faults
Of History and Now--
I Stand Here knowing what to do
But not yet knowing How--
I know this Man is Innocent
Yet all You see is Sin--
All You see is the Evil You’ve paired
With the color of His Skin.
So Here I Stand Today to ask You
For a Justice You Don’t Know--
Listen to His Beating Heart
And its Cover, let that Go--
I ask You Now to Do Your Duty
I ask You Now to Try--
Hold tight to Your Beautiful Conscience
And before You sit, ask Why--
Ask why I Stand before You all
On this clear and moonlit Night--
For once You see the Soul beside me,
I Know You’ll Do What’s Right.
Grace Brenner '21
Untitled
Max Coles '23
Untitled
Ellie Siu '21
Say My Name
When the Streets return to Normal
And the City looks the Same—
When the Screaming Silence falls around You
I ask You: Say My Name.
When Your Dream of Justice scares You
And your head, You keep it Bowed--
Rise Up against the Lethal Nothing
And say it; say it Loud.
When the Secrets of My Story
Fade from Your Front Page--
Let Your Dream of Justice burn within You
Let it ignite Our Broken Age.
And when You glory in the Promise
Of a Nation They call Free--
I ask You kindly to consider
What that Nation did to Me.
Before You praise its History
Before You preach its Fame
I ask You why I had to Die--
I ask you: Say My Name.
Say My Name in Solemn Spirits
Say My Name and See--
The way that Tough and Trusted Man
Pinned Me by his knee.
Say My Name with Soul and Valor
For the Mother who lost a Son
When Two Men chased Me down and Shot Me
On My morning run.
When You see that Picture Frame
Empty, Say My Name--
And when You’re Silenced by the Crowd
Say it, Say it Loud.
I Gaze upon The Stars Tonight
I Wonder and I Think--
I ponder Answers and Unknowns,
I teeter on The Brink--
I wish that I could bring Them back
Those Angels, up Above--
I wish that I could save those Men
For all They did was Love--
But as of Now all that I know
Is that it’s Time to Fight--
It’s Time to Fight for What We Know
Is Fair and Just and Right--
And as of Now I will not Sit;
My Dreams not yet Destroyed--
Until There’s Justice for Ahmaud
And Justice for George Floyd.
Grace Brenner '21
And the City looks the Same—
When the Screaming Silence falls around You
I ask You: Say My Name.
When Your Dream of Justice scares You
And your head, You keep it Bowed--
Rise Up against the Lethal Nothing
And say it; say it Loud.
When the Secrets of My Story
Fade from Your Front Page--
Let Your Dream of Justice burn within You
Let it ignite Our Broken Age.
And when You glory in the Promise
Of a Nation They call Free--
I ask You kindly to consider
What that Nation did to Me.
Before You praise its History
Before You preach its Fame
I ask You why I had to Die--
I ask you: Say My Name.
Say My Name in Solemn Spirits
Say My Name and See--
The way that Tough and Trusted Man
Pinned Me by his knee.
Say My Name with Soul and Valor
For the Mother who lost a Son
When Two Men chased Me down and Shot Me
On My morning run.
When You see that Picture Frame
Empty, Say My Name--
And when You’re Silenced by the Crowd
Say it, Say it Loud.
I Gaze upon The Stars Tonight
I Wonder and I Think--
I ponder Answers and Unknowns,
I teeter on The Brink--
I wish that I could bring Them back
Those Angels, up Above--
I wish that I could save those Men
For all They did was Love--
But as of Now all that I know
Is that it’s Time to Fight--
It’s Time to Fight for What We Know
Is Fair and Just and Right--
And as of Now I will not Sit;
My Dreams not yet Destroyed--
Until There’s Justice for Ahmaud
And Justice for George Floyd.
Grace Brenner '21
Our Lives
Quote: Martin Luther King Jr.'s sermon on courage, 8 March 1965.
Grace Brenner '21
Grace Brenner '21