“Before the war, they were happy, he said, quoting our textbook. (This was senior-year history class.) The slaves were clothed, fed, and better off under a master's care. I watched the words blur on the page. No one raised a hand, disagreed. Not even me.” PoetryEducationLearningPoemSlaveryAfrican AmericansBlacksTeachersTextbooksSlaves Book:Monument: Poems New and Selected Source: Monument: Poems New and Selected
“In the portrait of Jefferson that hangs at Monticello, he is rendered two-toned: his forehead white with illumination-- a lit bulb--the rest of his face in shadow, darkened as if the artist meant to contrast his bright knowledge, its dark subtext.” SlaveryPortraitsAfrican AmericansSlavesPresidentsThomas JeffersonInterracial RelationshipsMonticello Book:Monument: Poems New and Selected Source: Monument: Poems New and Selected
