Personal Politics: The life and language of June Jordan

1. Personal Politics:The life and language of June Jordan

2. Born in Harlem in 1936. Moved 6 years later to Bedford-Stuyvesant. Her mother was a nurse and her father was a postal worker. Both were Afro-Carribean immigrants. This was her house.

3. This was her street.

5. June’s personal relationship with language Characterized by the beauty of Biblical language: “In the beginning was the Word And the Word was with God And the Word was God.” “The Lord be with you.” “And with thy spirit.” “Let us pray.”

6. June and her father • Told her that she had to be a “soldier” in the “war against colored people” • Taught her to box, and added militant discipline to daily routine • Made her read and recite Shakespeare, Poe, Kipling, and Paul Laurence Dunbar

7. June and her father • Often called June, “his son” and referred to her with male pronouns • Frequently called her “damn black devil child” • Would attack and beat her in fits of rage (until June started sleeping with a knife under her pillow)

9. Black English and problems of language • The powerful promulgate language that hinders accountability and obscures consequences (e.g. “Security measures have been taken” or “I can’t comment on that, but it has been said many times”) • Language threatening to the powerful is censored. The language of the powerless is stigmatized. The powerless adopt the non-confrontational language of the powerful. • The powerless suffer loss of identity and the capability to effectively communicate about real problems (e.g. “I lost my job.” vs. “GM fired half of their employees and I was one.”)

10. Black English and problems of language • June developed a class with her students dedicated to the study and practice of the language used by African-Americans • In reaction to an instance of police violence against a member of their community, students used Black English to write letters of condolences to the victim’s family, and letters of outrage to the police • Publications and other media outlets uniformly refused to distribute their messages

11. June’s Legacy • Won numerous awards, published 10 books of poetry, 2 books of political essays, an autobiography, composed a libretto, and worked with Buckminster Fuller on urban planning (plus more posthumous publications) • Established Poetry for the People at UCBerkeley • Commemorated by the Split This Rock Poetry Festival, which combines politics, activism, and poetry • Shaped what is “acceptable” language for poetry, leading the way to modern “slam” poetry