June Jordan, born on this day in 1936, was a queer Jamaican-American author, feminist, and educator whose works include Some of Us Did Not Die and Report From the Bahamas. "Poetry is a political act because it involves telling the truth."

In her writing, Jordan explores issues of gender, race, capitalism, privilege, immigration, and representation. Jordan was passionate about using Black English in both her writing and her classroom, teaching her students to treat Black English as its own language and as an important outlet for expressing Black culture.

As a professor at Berkeley, Jordan founded the "Poetry for the People" program in 1991. Its aim was to inspire and empower students to use poetry as a means of artistic expression.

Although not widely recognized when first published in 1982, Jordan's essay "Report from the Bahamas", has since become an important work in gender studies, sociology, and anthropology.

"Poetry is a political act because it involves telling the truth."

  • June Jordan

June Jordan - Poetry foundation

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      • someone [comrade/them, they/them]
        ·
        2 months ago

        The comrade who recognizes that they deserve the pit is a comrade who does not deserve the physical pit, as they have already been to the pit of their heart, the pit of their soul.

      • Frank [he/him, he/him]
        ·
        2 months ago

        You don't have to go to the cuck pit you can just go to the :gulag: and sit in time out for twenty minutes.