Madison Poet Laureate Fabu and the Young Poets of Schenk Elementary School
Speaking the meaning of Juneteenth
Speaking the meaning of Juneteenth
Juneteenth
by Hillary
My great great great
98 times great grandfather
was a slave.
I feel so sorry for him
And all of the slaves.
I would free them.
I would free Mothers
Fathers and all the children.
Juneteenth
by Destiny
Why did my people
Have to work
For other people?
Free people are happy.
Black people should be free and happy.
All people need to be free.
Juneteenth
by Zyshan
Juneteenth is a day
When the slaves
Went free.
It is so sad
That they were ever treated
Bad like that..
Juneteenth
by Brooklyn
When I was not even born
People were slaves.
They were poor, poor, poor.
When I was not even born
People were slaves.
They were sad, sad, sad.
When I was not even born
Slaves were freed on Juneteenth.
They were glad, glad, glad.
Free people could see, visit
And love family and friends.
They were free, free, free.
Juneteenth
By Mauricio
Free
Means to do what
I want to do.
Slave
Means I am sad for
People who were owned.
Juneteenth
by Mrylena
My family is free
My mother, my father and me.
My grandma and grandpa
Uncles and Aunts.
About 100 of us
A long time ago.
My family was not free
Why I don’t know.
Juneteenth
by Jonathan
My Mom and Dad have a baby
Named Santiago.
Santiago is a boy.
Santiago is free, not a slave.
Thank goodness no one is a slave
Anymore.
June 19, 1865
by Gavin
On the first Juneteenth Day
Children were free
Happy to go back home
With their Mom and Dad
And other babies.
They all had fun being free.
Juneteenth
by Lisbeth
My Mom and Dad had me
And now I am eight
A life to play outside
Go on trips-its great.
I am happy and lucky both
To come her from Mexico
And be free.
It’s great.
Free At Last
By Jave
When my Great Great Grandpa
Was born
He was a slave.
When I was born in 1998
I was free.
We are both happy now
To be free
by Hillary
My great great great
98 times great grandfather
was a slave.
I feel so sorry for him
And all of the slaves.
I would free them.
I would free Mothers
Fathers and all the children.
Juneteenth
by Destiny
Why did my people
Have to work
For other people?
Free people are happy.
Black people should be free and happy.
All people need to be free.
Juneteenth
by Zyshan
Juneteenth is a day
When the slaves
Went free.
It is so sad
That they were ever treated
Bad like that..
Juneteenth
by Brooklyn
When I was not even born
People were slaves.
They were poor, poor, poor.
When I was not even born
People were slaves.
They were sad, sad, sad.
When I was not even born
Slaves were freed on Juneteenth.
They were glad, glad, glad.
Free people could see, visit
And love family and friends.
They were free, free, free.
Juneteenth
By Mauricio
Free
Means to do what
I want to do.
Slave
Means I am sad for
People who were owned.
Juneteenth
by Mrylena
My family is free
My mother, my father and me.
My grandma and grandpa
Uncles and Aunts.
About 100 of us
A long time ago.
My family was not free
Why I don’t know.
Juneteenth
by Jonathan
My Mom and Dad have a baby
Named Santiago.
Santiago is a boy.
Santiago is free, not a slave.
Thank goodness no one is a slave
Anymore.
June 19, 1865
by Gavin
On the first Juneteenth Day
Children were free
Happy to go back home
With their Mom and Dad
And other babies.
They all had fun being free.
Juneteenth
by Lisbeth
My Mom and Dad had me
And now I am eight
A life to play outside
Go on trips-its great.
I am happy and lucky both
To come her from Mexico
And be free.
It’s great.
Free At Last
By Jave
When my Great Great Grandpa
Was born
He was a slave.
When I was born in 1998
I was free.
We are both happy now
To be free
Slavery Was Wrong
by Andy
Slavery is wrong.
To own another
To make children slaves too.
Why was there slavery?
We don’t know.
All we know is that slavery was wrong.
Juneteenth Day
By Paige
Juneteenth Day
Is a great day
Of joy
Happiness
From 1865
Till now.
Juneteenth Day
by Arianna
Juneteenth is cool fun
And lots of things are done
To celebrate this special day
In lots of special ways.
Amigos de Juneteenth
By Eduardo
Es Jose
Es Adolfo
Es Andy
Es Geni
Es Chris
Y Sarah..
Juneteenth is about Us
by Gabe
Juneteenth includes
Black people and Native Americans.
Juneteenth is about
Freedom for Black people
And Native Americans and us.
Free on June 19th
by Miah
I have a picture
In my mind
About poor slave girls
Crying, crying.
I have another picture
In my mind
About rich free girls
Laughing, laughing.
Juneteenth Day
By Donnell
Let
Them
Go.
Let them go free.
Let those who were slaves
Go forever free.
Freedom for All
by Jose
I like to go to the zoo
To see the animals
They are interesting-cool
But I wonder if they want to be free
Like me?
I feel sad
That they are locked up.
Do they missing running wild?
Should I let them go?
It is a Big question.
Juneteenth Is a Happy Day
By Maleaha
Juneteenth is a happy day
Especially for slaves to go free
Yet Juneteenth is a happy day
Also for you and me.
The Civil Way
by Keshawn
In the Civil war
Even kids were slaves.
In slavery
Even kids get whipped.
Thank God
Even kids are now free.
by Andy
Slavery is wrong.
To own another
To make children slaves too.
Why was there slavery?
We don’t know.
All we know is that slavery was wrong.
Juneteenth Day
By Paige
Juneteenth Day
Is a great day
Of joy
Happiness
From 1865
Till now.
Juneteenth Day
by Arianna
Juneteenth is cool fun
And lots of things are done
To celebrate this special day
In lots of special ways.
Amigos de Juneteenth
By Eduardo
Es Jose
Es Adolfo
Es Andy
Es Geni
Es Chris
Y Sarah..
Juneteenth is about Us
by Gabe
Juneteenth includes
Black people and Native Americans.
Juneteenth is about
Freedom for Black people
And Native Americans and us.
Free on June 19th
by Miah
I have a picture
In my mind
About poor slave girls
Crying, crying.
I have another picture
In my mind
About rich free girls
Laughing, laughing.
Juneteenth Day
By Donnell
Let
Them
Go.
Let them go free.
Let those who were slaves
Go forever free.
Freedom for All
by Jose
I like to go to the zoo
To see the animals
They are interesting-cool
But I wonder if they want to be free
Like me?
I feel sad
That they are locked up.
Do they missing running wild?
Should I let them go?
It is a Big question.
Juneteenth Is a Happy Day
By Maleaha
Juneteenth is a happy day
Especially for slaves to go free
Yet Juneteenth is a happy day
Also for you and me.
The Civil Way
by Keshawn
In the Civil war
Even kids were slaves.
In slavery
Even kids get whipped.
Thank God
Even kids are now free.
By Fabu Carter Brisco
When I introduced Juneteenth and it’s importance as a historical celebration of family and freedom,
the student poets at Schenk Elementary were really concerned about the people who had to endure
this horror. Their poems reflect their questions about these brave folks, including children who were
enslaved. In The Civil War by Keshawn, he writes that “In slavery, even kids get whipped. Thank God
even kids are now free.”
The coordinators for Schenk’s Culture Day where poetry, music and song were all shared were Ms.
Beth Billingham, music teacher and Ms. Jamie Kulbertanz, school librarian. The other awesome
members of the team were Jennifer James, art teacher, and classroom teachers Janet Danielson,
Kat Hokesoma, Gary Skiles and Tami Kubitz. These poets and teachers did a fine job of celebrating
Juneteenth with words. Happy Juneteenth Day to everyone from your Madison Poet Laureate, Fabu.
When I introduced Juneteenth and it’s importance as a historical celebration of family and freedom,
the student poets at Schenk Elementary were really concerned about the people who had to endure
this horror. Their poems reflect their questions about these brave folks, including children who were
enslaved. In The Civil War by Keshawn, he writes that “In slavery, even kids get whipped. Thank God
even kids are now free.”
The coordinators for Schenk’s Culture Day where poetry, music and song were all shared were Ms.
Beth Billingham, music teacher and Ms. Jamie Kulbertanz, school librarian. The other awesome
members of the team were Jennifer James, art teacher, and classroom teachers Janet Danielson,
Kat Hokesoma, Gary Skiles and Tami Kubitz. These poets and teachers did a fine job of celebrating
Juneteenth with words. Happy Juneteenth Day to everyone from your Madison Poet Laureate, Fabu.
Juneteenth
by Rohana
A celebration
For people who were once slaves
And who are now always free.
Freedom
by Grace
Freedom
To play outside
To have nice clothes
To sing my songs
In two languages
To learn at school
With friends and teachers
To dream of what my life
Can be
A world of possibilities.
Juneteenth
by Vanessa
Sometimes I don’t talk
Not much at all
But I am free
To decide what and when
I’ll say words.
I am brave
Just waiting
Soon I will be ready
And it will be a
SURPRISE!
Juneteenth
by Montel
I have a question about slavery.
Why do people have to work
For others?
Juneteenth ended slavery here
But it still goes on
In other places.
This makes me sad.
People should be nice
To people.
Juneteenth
by Amaya
In the world
There have been many
People made slaves.
In America
Because of Juneteenth
There are no more slaves.
Juneteenth Day
by Arianna
Means everyone can go
To outside
To the park
And be free.
On June 19, 1865
by Ellie
My heart beats fast
When I got the news
I was free.
My body exploded
With happiness.
I jumped up and down.
I almost did not believe
I was truly
Free.
If I Was A Slave
by Lilly
If I was a slave
I could not cook
I could not cook
For the people
I would be sad.
Never Again
By Lyric
Never again slavery.
Never again Klu Klux Klan.
Dr. King and Rosa Parks
Would never be slaves again.
On Juneteenth Day, 1865
By Cheri
Everybody said “We’re free. We’re free”
Before June 19th that could not be.
Everybody in Texas were slaves
Black people, Tan people
Even Moms, Dads and children too.
by Rohana
A celebration
For people who were once slaves
And who are now always free.
Freedom
by Grace
Freedom
To play outside
To have nice clothes
To sing my songs
In two languages
To learn at school
With friends and teachers
To dream of what my life
Can be
A world of possibilities.
Juneteenth
by Vanessa
Sometimes I don’t talk
Not much at all
But I am free
To decide what and when
I’ll say words.
I am brave
Just waiting
Soon I will be ready
And it will be a
SURPRISE!
Juneteenth
by Montel
I have a question about slavery.
Why do people have to work
For others?
Juneteenth ended slavery here
But it still goes on
In other places.
This makes me sad.
People should be nice
To people.
Juneteenth
by Amaya
In the world
There have been many
People made slaves.
In America
Because of Juneteenth
There are no more slaves.
Juneteenth Day
by Arianna
Means everyone can go
To outside
To the park
And be free.
On June 19, 1865
by Ellie
My heart beats fast
When I got the news
I was free.
My body exploded
With happiness.
I jumped up and down.
I almost did not believe
I was truly
Free.
If I Was A Slave
by Lilly
If I was a slave
I could not cook
I could not cook
For the people
I would be sad.
Never Again
By Lyric
Never again slavery.
Never again Klu Klux Klan.
Dr. King and Rosa Parks
Would never be slaves again.
On Juneteenth Day, 1865
By Cheri
Everybody said “We’re free. We’re free”
Before June 19th that could not be.
Everybody in Texas were slaves
Black people, Tan people
Even Moms, Dads and children too.
