Slam Poetry: An Artistic Resistance Toward Identity, Agency, and Activism

ABSTRACT

In this essay, the authors present experiences as writers (poets), thinkers, and activists to explicate the literary genre of slam poetry and its affordances as an artistic resistance toward the end of identity, agency, and activism. These areas of development are critical for youth because they are beginning to be navigated and established during adolescence. As youth engage in individual identity formation and define their values in relation to the world around them, slam has the potential to act as a vehicle for that exploration. Through the sharing of a dialogic exchange about slam poetry, the authors discuss the purpose and power of language and provide considerations for ways in which this out-of-school literacy act can be transferred into classroom spaces with youth. This work is timely; the need for youth to make sense of their worlds is an urgent compulsion and English language arts instruction needs a major shift to focus on criticality as much as schools currently focus on skills and proficiencies.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Gholnecsar “Gholdy” Muhammad

Gholnecsar “Gholdy” Muhammad is an assistant professor of language and literacy in the Department of Middle and Secondary Education at Georgia State University. Her research interests are situated in the social and historical foundations of literacy development among African Americans and writing representations among African American adolescent girls. She also explores literacy collaboratives to understand how writing pedagogy and the roles of writing can be advanced and reconceptualized in secondary classrooms.

Lee Gonzalez

Lee Gonzalez is a second grade teacher in Indianapolis as well as an award-winning poet. He is a local teaching artist, slam coach, and graduate student currently pursuing his Masters of Education.