Episode Ten, Part I: Righteous Anger and Langston Hughes ”The Colored Soldier”

In this episode, Pete explores the festering and righteous and justified anger felt by many over the continued oppression of African-Americans at the hands of law enforcement and society as a whole. This anger is made visible through a close read of Langston Hughes’ incredibly-powerful poem, “The Colored Soldier,” in which he talks to his brother, killed in France in WWI, in a dream.

 

Authors Mentioned and Allusions and Songs Referenced During the Episode:

"Teaching the American 20s," Online Materials for K-12 Educators-information about racial violence inflicted about returning African-American WWI veterans

Rage Against the Machine’s “Freedom”-with “Anger is a gift” lyrics

Song at beginning and end of episode: “Wicked” (Instrumental) by Ice Cube