Nina Blalock
February 22, 2009
11-1
English III

Writing has the power to enact social change. All artists, including writers, are responsible to society to promote justice and change where it’s necessary. Writers have a special ability to awaken an audience’s imagination and bring them into a new world. This can be instrumental in bringing major issues to light.
In 2002, June Jordan wrote “The Bombing of Baghdad” in response to Americans bombing Iraq. This really bought the scene of Baghdad to reality. Americans knew about the bombing, but we couldn’t ever possibly imagine what it’s like to have our homes, schools, places of worship, businesses, towns, and cities destroyed by an enemy on the other side of the ocean. As a nation, we’ve never experienced anything like the bombing of Baghdad. However, Jordan used her power over language to create this scene in the minds of her readers.
If it wasn’t for writers and other artists, governments would get away with doing a lot of inhumane things. They already get away with spying and being corrupt, but writers help to fix some problems in politics. By labeling the bombers of Baghdad as American terrorists, Jordan showed her readers that just because an American does something doesn’t make it right. If anything it makes it twice as bad and hypocritical, because America is supposed to stand for justice.
All forms of creativity have the power to enact social change from Diana Ross singing, “I’m coming out,” to Leonardo DiCaprio showing the world the truth about, “Blood Diamonds.” Artists are truly the social workers for all of society.

Nina Blalock
January 30, 2009
English III
Mr. Fiorini
Breathe

The indescribable joy motherhood brings
The horrific misery slavery holds
What if the same man that causes your oppression fathers your beloved child?
What if you’ve always known that your spirit is born to be free, but your beloved baby boy isn’t part of that freedom?
What’s the price of a child?
Is it less than the freedom of three of God’s children?
Is it more than the haunting, sleepless nights you’ll long to hold your baby?
What do you do when you’ve waited a lifetime for one moment, but it’s not exactly perfect when it happens?
Do you take a chance and wish for the best?
Do you play it safe and pray to God that this wasn’t your last opportunity?
How do you live with knowing you let the opportunity of a lifetime pass you by?
How do you live with knowing you’ll never see someone you loved so dearly ever again?

On the ferry the moment of truth,
All eyes are watching the great drama of your life unfold
Strangers urge you to claim “your freedom.”
It’s yours.
Just stand! Just stand! Stand up!
You hear it in your head; you feel it in your heart.

Then like a massive blow to the gut that takes your breath away, you return to reality.
Your child is in Virginia. You’ve left him. It’s so hard, too hard to separate.

You stand.
You love your baby boy; but you’ve always wanted to be free.
“You are entitled to your freedom according to the laws of…”

You stand; you walk; they watch;
“Breathe”