Chapter 15: Let My Soul Spit: Young People Write for Reflection and Inspiration

How is it that young people’s innate desire to learn, so fresh when they enter kindergarten, often wears away by middle and high school? How is it that youth who typically have an inherent sense of justice become apathetic teenagers? Adolescents are quick to recognize and challenge unfairness (perhaps particularly when it is aimed at them), and they have a desire for truth telling. Teens have acquired diverse knowledge and skills and are increasingly curious about who they are and their place within their family, peer group, school, and society. The Content, Perspective, Dialogue (CPD) Workshop Model (Wilcox, 2009) developed by The Brotherhood/Sister Sol (BHSS) assumes that these are qualities young people come bearing and that reflective writing (e.g., poetry, essays, journaling, spoken word, speeches) is an effective tool for exploring knowledge of self, developing a creative and ideological voice, and building community. CPD is centrally rooted in the Pan-African and Latino tradition of education for liberation.