As talk goes around the school about a popular language arts class, more and more students are expressing interest in taking the course called Black Literature. This class is a semester course and can be taken for a language arts credit. The Black Literature class brings a lot to the table for students. In this class students explore books, poems, films and more, to learn new information about Black culture.
Mrs. Rebecca Stevenson, Black Literature teacher, is the only teacher for the class and she truly loves it.
“My favorite lessons are the ones that involve rich class discussions,” Stevenson said. “Student voice is critical, and I always learn something new.”
The class involves a lot of student-to-student discussions, where classmates can share their opinions and thoughts safely. Olivia Harrison, 12, is taking Black Literature this semester.
“It can be tricky to figure at first getting comfortable with the topics, but overall it is a very safe space,” Harrison said. “Mrs. Stevenson is very good at guiding and helping in any way she can.”
Black Literature is more popular now than ever.
“Students want to see themselves represented in literature, and partly because students have the desire to learn about experiences different from their own or what they’ve traditionally been taught,” Stevenson said. “Students also enjoy the class conversations and opportunities to discuss topics that can sometimes be uncomfortable but are very necessary.”
The class is structured differently than a typical language arts class; while studying the literature, students are able to see much more clearly how reading other people’s stories can affect their perception. Regular language arts classes don’t do a deep dive into literature written by Black people. This class is a great way to become more understanding and knowledgeable of other people’s stories that aren’t told as often as they should.
Even though this class contains some conversations that may be uncomfortable for students when first starting out, Allen Brown, 12, describes this class as fun, interesting, and engaging. After creating a safe environment for uncomfortable conversations, this class becomes one of the most educational and fun classes students take in their high school careers.
