The Black Arts Era

Noteworthy Facts of Sonia Sanchez

Sonia Sanchez Works

• Birth name: Wilsonia Benita Driver

• Married and divorced, Puerto Rican immigrant, Albert Sanchez (kept his last name)

• Author of more than a dozen books of poetry

• Lectured at more than five hundred universities and colleges in the U.S.

• Conducted reading tours of her poetry all over the world.

Poetry Collections:

"Homecoming" Detroit: Broadside, 1969

"Love Poems" New York: Third Press, 1973.

"A Blues Book for Blue Black Magical Women" 1973.

Plays:

"Uh Huh: But How Do It Free Us? " Chicago: Northwestern University Theatre, 1974.

"I’m Black When I’m Singing, I’m Blue When I Ain’t" and Other Plays. Durham: Duke University Press, 2010.

Children’s Books:

It’s a New Day: Poems for Young Brothas and Sistuhs. Detroit: Broadside, 1971.

The Adventures of Fat Head, Small Head, and Square Head. New York: Third Press, 1973.

Noteworthy Facts of Aretha Franklin

• Born in Memphis Tennessee in 1942

• Became a mother at age 14, second child at 16

• By age 14 recorded earliest tracks at church; released as "Songs of Faith" in 1956.

• In 1967 and 1968, Franklin produced a string of hit singles that became classics.

• In 1987, became the 1st female artist to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

• In 2008 won 18th Grammy Award, making her one of the most honored artists in Grammy history.

Unique Qualities of Sonia Sanchez

• Was born in 1934, in Birmingham, Alabama.

• Moved to Harlem In 1943.

• Earned a BA in political science in 1955.

• Early 1960s she was an integrationist.

• Pioneer in developing black studies courses in 1965,

• In 1971, joined the Nation of Islam

Impact of Works on the Civil Rights Movement

Mood and Tone

• Bold

• Strong

• Empowerment
• "Baby, I got it" -"Respect"

• Advocate for Women Civil Rights & African American Rights
• "All I'm askin' is for a little respect when you get home" - "Respect"

• Hope
• "But somehow right now I believe that I'm able, I'm able to carry on" -"A Change Is Gonna Come"

• Change
• "But I know my change is gonna come" -"A Change Is Gonna Come"

• Sonia Sanchez poetry urged blacks to embrace their identity / heritage

• "Homecoming" and A Blues Book for Blue Black Magic Women—Black Culture

• I’ve Been a Woman—the journey of growing up as a black woman (for all women)

• Aretha Franklin—“Respect”

• “. . . a potent symbol of black advancement”

• Friends with Dr. King / performed and supported Civil Rights events in the 60’s

Questions

Works Cited

• Who is Aretha Franklin demanding respect from?

• How do you think the song "Respect" relates to the civil rights movement?

• In modern America are civil rights still an issue?

• https://www.enotes.com/topics/sonia-sanchez/critical-essays/sanchez-sonia-vol-116

• http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/aretha-franklin-about-aretha-franklin/598/

• http://www.visionaryproject.org/sanchezsonia/

• https://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poet/sonia-sanchez

• https://youtube.com

The Black Arts Era

1960 - 1975