1_briones

Karina Briones

21 November 2000

English 2303.01

Tears for Rights

Dudley Randall, a poet, librarian, and publisher is one of the most important Black men of literature in the 20th century. According to Trudin Harris, Randall, a child during the Harlem Renaissance, was a leading poet of the subsequent generation of black writers who later became a "pioneer of the Black literary movement of the 1960s" (Afro 187). Randall's own work about history and racial identity of Blacks benefited from the ideas and literary forms of the Harlem Renaissance (Afro 188). In addition, Baxter Miller states that Randall's own poetic "credo" with the other poets created a broad tolerance in what he published (Black American 78).

One of Randall's popular works of literature is his poem, "Ballad of Birmingham," that is based on the bombing September 15, 1963, at Martin Luther King's church. This bomb severely damaged this church during Sunday school services. One 11-year-old, Denise McNair, and three 14-year-olds, Cynthia Wesley, Carol Rosamond Robertson, and Addie Mae Collins, were killed at the 16th St. Baptist church in Birmingham, Alabama. These young girls were in the basement's dressing room, when the bomb, which was beneath the church steps, exploded at 10:19 A.M. as the children were saying their last prayer to end their Sunday school session.

Immediately after the explosion, many residents of the neighborhood desperately began digging in the debris and ashes to search for any survivors. Unfortunately, the bodies of the four young children were found disfigured under the remains of brick and broken glass.

According to Miller, Randall compares racial progress to "blossoming" in this poem (Black American 77). Through incremental repetition, including a dialogue between a mother and her daughter, he achieves "dramatic reversal"(Black American 78). Randall also uses a ballad convention of the innocent asking the wise a question. In this poem, for example, the young child is innocent and naive while the mother is aware and wise of the political movements taking place at the time.

At the beginning of this poem, the young girl asks her mother for permission to attend the Freedom March, but the fearful mother forbids her to attend. Since the mother strongly believes that a church would be a much safer place to go instead, she allows her child to attend Sunday school and sing with the choir to prevent her from any harm. But unfortunately, by the end, the terror of the bombing leaves her disappointed (Randall).

After reading this poem, Randall reminds the audience of what happens in the struggle for civil rights (Black Poets 108). There is absolutely no sanctuary and no respect for innocence. According to Randall, having no sanctuary simply means that there is no such thing as "staying out of the struggle in order to avoid trouble" (Black American 82). The violence ignited because of this bombing touches even this woman who would keep her family out of danger of political protests, which was something she could not stay out of.

Even though this tragedy occurred nearly 37 years ago, Randall states that people should always be aware of what occurs in history (Black Poets 110). Reading poems, novels, and short stories will only better inform society of many events that have occurred. This poem leads us to finding more information on this particular tragedy by allowing us to imagine the young child eager to attend the Freedom March, but attending church instead, as well as imagining the devastated mother looking for her child hours later and only finding her child's shoe. In turn the reader is better informed of the history of the poem and about the many events that have occurred because of racism.

Sources Cited

Afro American Writers from the Harlem Renaissance. Ed. Trudin Harris. Vol.5. Detroit:

Gale Research Co. 1987. 187-214.

Black American Poets Between Worlds, 1940-1970. Ed. R. Baxter Miller. Vol.30.

Knoxville: The University of Tennessee Press. 1986. 77-92, 110-120.

Black Poets: A New Anthology. New York: Bantam Books, 1971. 108-115.

Randall, Dudley. "Ballad of Birmingham." Nov. 2000

<http://library.thinkquest.org/12111/church.html>.









			Karina Briones 21 November 2000 English 2303.01 Tears for Rights Dudley Randall, a poet, librarian, and publisher is one of the most important Black men of literature in the 20th century. According to Trudin Harris, Randall, a child during the Harlem Renaissance, was a leading poet of the subsequent generation of black writers who later became a "pioneer of the Black literary movement of the 1960s" (Afro 187). Randall's own work about history and racial identity of Blacks benefited from the ideas and literary forms of the Harlem Renaissance (Afro 188). In addition, Baxter Miller states that Randall's own poetic "credo" with the other poets created a broad tolerance in what he published (Black American 78). One of Randall's popular works of literature is his poem, "Ballad of Birmingham," that is based on the bombing September 15, 1963, at Martin Luther King's church. This bomb severely damaged this church during Sunday school services. One 11-year-old, Denise McNair, and three 14-year-olds, Cynthia Wesley, Carol Rosamond Robertson, and Addie Mae Collins, were killed at the 16th St. Baptist church in Birmingham, Alabama. These young girls were in the basement's dressing room, when the bomb, which was beneath the church steps, exploded at 10:19 A.M. as the children were saying their last prayer to end their Sunday school session. Immediately after the explosion, many residents of the neighborhood desperately began digging in the debris and ashes to search for any survivors. Unfortunately, the bodies of the four young children were found disfigured under the remains of brick and broken glass. According to Miller, Randall compares racial progress to "blossoming" in this poem (Black American 77). Through incremental repetition, including a dialogue between a mother and her daughter, he achieves "dramatic reversal"(Black American 78). Randall also uses a ballad convention of the innocent asking the wise a question. In this poem, for example, the young child is innocent and naive while the mother is aware and wise of the political movements taking place at the time. At the beginning of this poem, the young girl asks her mother for permission to attend the Freedom March, but the fearful mother forbids her to attend. Since the mother strongly believes that a church would be a much safer place to go instead, she allows her child to attend Sunday school and sing with the choir to prevent her from any harm. But unfortunately, by the end, the terror of the bombing leaves her disappointed (Randall). After reading this poem, Randall reminds the audience of what happens in the struggle for civil rights (Black Poets 108). There is absolutely no sanctuary and no respect for innocence. According to Randall, having no sanctuary simply means that there is no such thing as "staying out of the struggle in order to avoid trouble" (Black American 82). The violence ignited because of this bombing touches even this woman who would keep her family out of danger of political protests, which was something she could not stay out of. Even though this tragedy occurred nearly 37 years ago, Randall states that people should always be aware of what occurs in history (Black Poets 110). Reading poems, novels, and short stories will only better inform society of many events that have occurred. This poem leads us to finding more information on this particular tragedy by allowing us to imagine the young child eager to attend the Freedom March, but attending church instead, as well as imagining the devastated mother looking for her child hours later and only finding her child's shoe. In turn the reader is better informed of the history of the poem and about the many events that have occurred because of racism. Sources Cited Afro American Writers from the Harlem Renaissance. Ed. Trudin Harris. Vol.5. Detroit: Gale Research Co. 1987. 187-214. Black American Poets Between Worlds, 1940-1970. Ed. R. Baxter Miller. Vol.30. Knoxville: The University of Tennessee Press. 1986. 77-92, 110-120. Black Poets: A New Anthology. New York: Bantam Books, 1971. 108-115. Randall, Dudley. "Ballad of Birmingham." Nov. 2000 <http://library.thinkquest.org/12111/church.html>.