Title: 10 Poems about Racism and Discrimination | Human Rights Careers
Headings: 10 Poems about Racism and Discrimination
10 Poems about Racism and Discrimination
“Caged Bird” by Maya Angelou
“Rosa” by Rita Dove
“Tradition” by Jericho Brown
“White Privilege” by Gabriel Rameriz
“I Am Not The Indian You Had In Mind” by Thomas King
“Immigrant Blues” by Li-Young Lee
“Riot” by Gwendolyn Brooks
“Ballad of Birmingham” by Dudley Randall
“Afterimages” by Audre Lorde
“I, Too” by Langston Hughes

Content: The Tradition, the book in which the titular poem appears, is his third collection. Using a sonnet structure, “The Tradition” parallels the tradition of gardening and caring for the earth with violence against African-Americans. Brown lists types of flowers throughout the piece. In the last line, the names of John Crawford, Eric Garner, and Mike Brown take their place. “White Privilege” by Gabriel Rameriz
Poet and teaching artist Gabriel Rameriz performed this poem for a “We are mitú” video on Facebook in 2017. Rameriz, who is Afro-Latinx, describes the poem as a response to things white people have said to him. At the time, he didn’t confront them directly. He says the purpose of the poem is to make white people consider their place in the world. Discomfort is a signal that there are things that need to change. His book
“I Am Not The Indian You Had In Mind” by Thomas King
An artist with an impressive resume, Thomas King is a photographer, professor emeritus, radio broadcaster, and 2-time Governor General’s Literary Award nominee.