November 5

I. Opening Writing Activity
The first journal writing activity for UF this week is another imaginative exercise. This time you will write NOT AS A CHARACTER, but as THE BOOK itself.  Here are your prompts:

1. Explain why Black girls are so drawn to you. 
   
2. Describe one of your characters that really resonates (positively or negatively) for your readers.  Why did you create this character?
   
3. Discuss how you made yourself known and available to the Black girls who have read you.  How and why have you been circulating for and amongst Black girls in ways that most mainstream/ white/ middle class/ respectable folk have never even seen or realized--- in BOTH urban and rural settings? 
4. Ruminate on who/what you look and sound like (music, film, other books--- especially for older Black women).  

Feel free to be as imaginative as you want to be.

II. Small Group Time/Groups of 3 

• 1) Select your three "roles": a) one person needs to facilitate, keep the discussion flowin, and watch the time; b) one person needs to write out the collective statement; c) one person needs to read the statement to the whole class w/ some kind of swag puhllease...


• 2) Everyone should share their journal writing and thoughts on Cooper's essay.


• 3) Together, write a statement (prosaic or poetic) that defines: "BLACK GIRL (LITERACY) IS A VERB."  Person B should write the statement and be prepared to submit it at the end of class (write it out or email/google-doc it to Carmen at [email protected])

III. Group Aloud Readings

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