We Speak, TOO
A Collection Inspired by Baltimore Author D. Watkins and ONE BOOK BALTIMORE
CHARM: Voices of Baltimore Youth partnered with the Enoch Pratt Free Library and Baltimore City Public Schools to collect writing and artwork inspired by this year’s One Book Baltimore selection, We Speak for Ourselves by D. Watkins. The collection was produced by CHARM’s youth Partnerships team. To kick off this collaboration, CHARM’s new Journalism team interviewed D. Watkins about his pathway to writing, his own inspiration, and his advice to young writers in The CHARM Report.
Be sure to check out this virtual exhibition by Muse 360, also inspired by We Speak for Ourselves entitled: Is it Better on the Other Side?
Untitled Photo by Estrella Cardenas, Grade 8
Where I’m From
by Tyon S., Grade 7
I am from West Baltimore,
from struggle Air Force dragging and
eating Denny’s food
I am from the killings, drama, hate, life, dirt, heartbreak, begging, fighting.
I am from the 1500 where people get hurt for nothing by talking
the mud, culture
I am from Sandtown and fighting
From Smiley and Curlbsss
From you only got one life to live and
Fight your own battles.
I am from no kizzy.
I’m from stay silent, ham and chicken.
From the streets, the lifestyle, and the things I see.
I am from Bodymore/Murderland
SANDTOWN
Artwork by Wesley H., Grade 8
Baltimore
By Nahomy T., Grade 8
B - Baltimore is my home
A - Abundant with people
L - Love
T - Thankful that I found my friends here
I- It has a place in my heart
M - More love less hate
O - One stop for crabs
R - Radiant
E -Easy to find good things about Baltimore
Baltimore
by Tori L.
Grade 8
Churches on every corner yet this is a godless land
No one ever wins its just all bad hands
Clawing to survive the night
It’s either fight or flight
You got any dreams to sell?
They go for the gram in this hell
Empty shells of people lost to the fentanyl epidemic
Kids even addicted by this impure family hemic
Generations of drug dealing and high school dropouts
Trapped by the constant anxiety and bill payment doubts
Despised by our own nation
Deprived of even the littlest salvation
So many burned houses in Baltimore
Forever kindling the flame evermore
just like the people’s busted decaying dreams
Get out of the city they scream
But they’re stuck in the city, their futures are in the air to the crisp
Nothing to grab on finally they just let it slip
Artwork by Jaisdel, Grade 8
Caged Animals
by Mishelle F.
Baltimore could be seen as a cage
for dangerous and wild animals.
Animals whose only purpose is to
KILL and mate.
To restart the cycle of bloody murders
and filthy rats.
But what people don’t realize is,
there is so much more to these
caged animals.
If only people on the outside could
see past this
cage.
They could see past the wild animals
and see a whole new side.
Most of these animals aren’t driven
by the urge to kill or lust.
But by pain and sorrow.
By the pain of losing their
son, daughter, mother, father, friends, and more
to the actual wild animals.
But because of these wild animals,
people have to have this title and
never have a chance to express
themselves.
As if the future is already decided
because of some stupid title.
They feel as if they too have
become a caged animal because of
society.
My Revolution
Brazae F., Grade 8
My revolution is following up on my dreams and overachieving them
My revolution will take me somewhere in life bigger than Baltimore
My revolution will change the way I look and feel about things and make me a better person
My revolution will have me stable enough to help my family and take care of my family like they did for me.
Because my revolution is for a better me and for a better future.
There will be a lot of success in my future.
There is no time for playing around and being childish.
Or irrelevant things like drama
So, I will stay focused, work hard and play or have fun later.
Because I am determined to accomplish my goals.
My revolution will be obtained.
There will be no pictures of parties or unfinished work.
There won’t be any distractions.
But there will be growth and strength.
And I know I will get where I want to be in life.
Because I need to take care of me and my future kids independently.
And my revolution will be complete and bigger and better things will come.
Crime
by Alyssia V., Grade 8
Crime hurts the way we treat each other….
Crime, like men on the front getting shot, beat,.. hurt...
Crime...makes everyone wonder what it’s worth.
Because Crime makes us fall, it makes us pave, it makes us wonder where the maker is in this certain day of age…
We wonder and shout of where He is, when really He’s always there, we just make escape plans to run from Him
Is that fair?
Crime is not of Him, because He is Light,
We made crime to block off the beautiful bright light.
To make things darker, because the more we hate, the more our hearts grow faint.
So I stand to say crime isn’t of the maker in the clouds you heard of at age 6.. But of the humans that stand under the beautiful abyss.
Because two humans gave into disobedience and there was crime, when will we ever shine a bright light to fix the world...
Sin is why this world is fallen, the damage has been done, and what will come upon one to save the world.
There will be no pictures of a man who took His life to save others, but at least we have the truth written into the form where we can understand every detail.
There won’t be any sorrow because he has overcome the world with His greatness and royalness.
He has paved a way for all to be free, to be released from the chains of darkness.
But there will be…still hurt, sorrow, pain, tears, but in the end, everything will become clear.
And I know I might sound crazy, but what is more to lose than to gain?
Because maybe or maybe not He is true, but there lies a truth in my heart of this certain cause.
SO remember Crime, separates us from loving Him who created us, let us realize our crime and hurt and be genuinely sorrowful of this, and let us come close together and rejoice, that in the end good outshines evil.
Death
by Christian L., Grade 8
A common phenomenon
A regular occurrence
Life
Phrases words used to explain
This pain, this destiny I wish to restrain
But how do I restrain this feeling of loss
When my trash can is filling from these tissues I toss
‘Cause everyday someone is leaving
A father, an aunt
Can my eyes be deceiving
Me?
I refuse to indulge this destiny
Of what society thinks I should be
I choose to follow another path
And use all the talents that I have
To be the best son I can be
And make my family proud I’m ME!
Artwork by Lesly
Poem
By Marcos Rojas, Grade 8
No matter what life puts us through
We will make it through
Life is hard
But not impossible
My Revolution
By Gregory W., Grade 8
My revolution is Amazing
My revolution will Be great
My revolution will prevail
My revolution will not be televised
Because my revolution is smart
There will be hard times
There is no time for slacking
Or failure
So let's work hard
Because when we work hard good things will come to us.
My revolution will always be amazing.
There will be no pictures of being sad.
There won’t be any room for doubt.
But there will be success.
And I know there will be success·
Because we are great.
And my revolution WILL prevail.
The Female Trailblazer
By Isabella A., Grade 7
I am a 12-year-old female TRAILBLAZER, born in the United States with Immigrant and American Parents. According to today’s society - I am what you’d call Latin X! Which has nothing to do with race, but rather ethnicity. It refers to the new generation of Americans born of Latino Heritage.
I’m writing about Racial Justice because I believe it’s one of the most contentious topics throughout the world… And our society still has yet to address it; struggles to define it, speak about it or even practice it!
“Racial Justice” assures equality, fairness, and impartiality for all! But as uncomfortable as it’s been for many… it all goes back to Race. According to Merriam Webster's Dictionary - “Race is one the many groups that humans are divided into based on physical traits regarded to as common among of shared ancestry.’’
However, the word Race to me is more perplexing and is misused. Primarily because I believe there is only one race; the Human Race! So any other grouping or further interpretations, I refer you to “We the People’’...
“We the People” starts the preamble of the United States Constitution, written in 1787. Intended to be our guide to Justice… establishing law, the way it should be enforced, and managed... We’ve come to realize that “ We the people ” is a discretionary term… since we vary in so many ways. These variations are phenotypical for the most part and refer only to our physical characteristics.
However, Race is what has been used to classify us all. Some scientists, scholars, and others in society have used Race to separate us and somehow create a caste type system. A system that actually uses heritage and ethnicity to divide society.
A system that promotes the idea that one’s Race gives them an inherent privilege over another human being. The whole idea and categorizing people goes against my definition of Racial Justice! There is no Justice and/or equality when you begin to classify people.
Justice: “Is What Love Looks Like in Public!”
That’s what Cornel West stated… Well, I beg to differ! There is no partiality in Justice. You can’t choose to be just one way in public!
And Love - love is not conditional… Where there is no Love, surely there must be Hate! Hate is what fuels the struggle for racial equality.
Hate is what oppresses Racial Justice!
I agree more with what Dr. Martin Luther King Jr wrote:
“Injustice Anywhere is a Threat to Justice Everywhere!”
So whether you are in public or within your private homes, We must all start with redefining what racial justice is and determine what it looks like for each of us as individuals.
So, I’ll start with me, Right here in America…
So many faces from so many places.
Different ethnicities and various races.
My America Today… The land of the free… Has it always been this way?
I wonder where you really ever made for me?
Racial Justice… it seems just like that dream… But one day we’ll all wake up and see!
My name; my lineage is divine… Assimilated like that of a compound: Elements of Gold and Silver, Anointed at the feet - and Polished like Bronze.
You’ve used everything against me! Even my Peers judge me with 12 of them at the table…
And still, you try to shoot me down.
“Innocent before proven guilty” only applies to those who are not tan, yellow, or brown.
But I will not fall… As Maya Angelou stated…
“I come as one but I stand as Ten thousand”. 10,000 months, equal to more than 830 years of Racial Injustice in America!
And I am just getting started. You see I am Titanium…
My people, Your people - “We” are the most valued of natural resources… Human Capital!
Emancipated, and re-enslaved through Economic Apartheid.
Sinking the boats, and building the walls but then forgetting who actually laid those bricks in the first place!
Colonized - some were born here, some migrated, and some FORCED and even smuggled over by the same Bureaucratic Hoarders proclaiming their efforts to secure our Borders.
Separated at birth, detained upon arrival, caged, jailed, and sold off to the highest bidders… to build the roads, railways, and cities where we’ve cut your grass, raised your children, and filled your jails to meet your quotas.
Separate is not Equal!
Democracy doesn’t yield Justice as it should!
This place I call home… Still struggles to categorize me… Latin X it sounds so trendy…
How about plain old Justice - just give us Equality!
ACKnowledgements
The students featured in this collection attend Baltimore International Academy, Holabird Academy, and Westport Academy.
CHARM’s Youth Partnerships Team includes Olivia Koulish, Jasmine Scott, Maiya Hall, Iris Zheng, Julian Koulish, Marian Tibrey and Skyy Johnson, and mentor Madison Mattison.
Special thanks to LaTrisha Milton at the Enoch Pratt Free Library and Emmanuel Faulkner at Baltimore City Public Schools, as well as teachers at the above schools, for your support in bringing this project to life.
Thank you to D. Watkins for your generosity of time, your encouragement, and motivating words.