Worcester’s Clemente Course in the Humanities Literature class will acknowledge Black History Month in two ways this month: 1) they will do an ekphrastic writing exercise using Otto Bettmann‘s photo I am a Man (March 1968).
The picture is from the 1968 Memphis Sanitation workers’ strike, which was supported by Dr. King and other civil rights advocates. King would be killed in Memphis that April.
In addition, we will do a ‘translation’ exercise. In other words, we will read Langston Hughes ‘Harlem’, and each student will ‘translate that into their personal language.
Thanks to Clemente Worcester faculty member Mark Wagner for the photo and context.