New Monuments—Proposals from Ms. Abbey’s 2nd Grade Class at Detroit Prep

NEW MONUMENTS

A Proposal from

Ms. Abbey’s 2nd Grade Class at Detroit Prep

FIRST EDITION 2021 AN 826MICHIGAN DIGITAL PUBLICATION

NEW MONUMENTS Memorials That Matter

826 National’s Commitment to Inclusion As an organization committed to encouraging youth in their creative expression, personal growth, and academic success, 826 National and its chapters recognize the importance of diversity at all levels and in all aspects of our work. In order to build and maintain the safe, supportive 826 environment in which great leaps of learning occur, we commit to inclusion: We will not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, ethnicity, age, gender identity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, nationality, marital status, English fluency, parental status, immigration status, military service, or disability.

826michigan Staff Dr. Naimah Wade, Executive Director Judy Tipton, Development Director Catherine Calabro Cavin, Education Director Frances Martin, Operations Director Megan Gilson, Program Manager Ariel Kaplowitz-Hahn, Volunteer Engagement Associate Josi Ezinga, Development Associate

Copyright © 2021 by 826michigan and Blotch Books.

All rights reserved by 826michigan, the many whims of Drs. T & G Blotch, and the authors.

The views expressed in this book are the authors’ and do not necessarily reflect those of 826michigan. We believe in the power of youth voice and are thrilled that you picked up this book. No part of this book may be reproduced without express written permission from the publisher, except for small excerpts for the purposes of review or scholarly study.

Many thanks to Detroit Prep, University of Michigan Museum of Art, and our volunteers for their participation in this field trip.

By purchasing this book, you are helping 826michigan continue to offer free student programs. For more information, please visit: 826michigan.org

Table of Contents About the Program New Monument Proposals A Monument to Grace Lee Boggs.............. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 A Monument to Arts and Civil Rights Leaders.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 A Monument to Miss Abbey.................... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 A Monument to My Moms...................... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Design Your Own Monument.................. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 About 826michigan.. ....................... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

About the Program This book contains writing from 826michigan’s New Monuments virtual field trip program, hosted in partnership with the University of Michigan Museum of Art. During this program, students explore what a monument is and can be, dreaming up new possibilities for local ways to honor heroes and specialties, from the playful (coney dogs and magical creatures) to the serious (activists and abolitionists). In collaboration with 826michigan volunteers, students envision and draw these new possibilities, and then write about why they think their new monuments should be built. This project is based on the work by student writers at our sister chapter 826 New Orleans and their publication Courageous, Eccentric, Diverse: New Monuments for New Orleans.

A Monument to Grace Lee Boggs

Group 1

Grace Lee Boggs was an activist with her husband. She was a Chinese-American woman from Detroit. She built a school called Boggs School. She wanted kids to have a great education.

She should be memorialized with a monument because she believed everyone deserves an education and we think the community should learn about her. People should know how hard she worked and how she felt.

The monument will feature a school and Grace. It will be located in Detroit, where she did her work, in front of a museum.

New Monuments | 1

A Monument to Arts and Civil Rights Leaders

Group 2

Our monument remembers leaders from art and civil rights: Michael Jackson, Rosa Parks, and Martin Luther King, Jr., and Audrey.

They deserve to be remembered because they were important people who lived before us who made art and who made tough decisions to do the right thing.

Our monument could be made of metal or copper, and it would be people holding hands, with a button on it that could play Michael Jackson’s songs (for example, “Billie Jean”) and MLK Jr.’s speeches. Another idea could be to paste paper pictures on the wall with Gorilla Glue.

2 | Ms. Abbey’s Class

A Monument to Miss Abbey

Group 3

Our teacher makes sure we get a good education so she deserves a statue. She matters because she takes care of us, teaches us, and makes sure we are safe.

The monument would be 400 feet tall!!! It would be even taller than the Empire State Building. It would be made of marble and Legos and you could see satellites from the top. It will be green like the Statue of Liberty and she will be holding math. Also wearing her mask.

When people look at it they will want to be Miss Abbey. They will want to be a teacher too. It will be hard to build since it will be so big. And it’ll even be on its own island. Next to some coconut trees.

New Monuments | 3

A Monument to My Moms

Group 4

My first mom’s name is Ky and my other mom’s name is Nreisha.

I really want to build mini statues of them because they were really nice to me and some of my other brothers and sisters. I was four when I first met some of them, and they pranked me.

It was really funny. I got to go to my other mom’s house. When I first got to meet her it was really fun.

We were driving home when I got picked up on a Friday. I was six or seven. We were passing by some place and a man had a pillow and laid down in the middle of the street. My mom said she would go tell the man something. She told the man something and he got up and walked out of the street.

My mom dropped me off today because it is Friday. She works at a big white place. My uncle used to work there. When we go on weekends my mom has to open the door and I usually get a hot chocolate. There is a room where she works and I get to meet other people. It is really fun. My mom and her workers made a video at work. It was really fun. We got to see them work. It was really realistic. Sometimes we get to go to her job and spend 20 minutes or 30 minutes there. When people go up to the statue, I want them to feel like they want to meet my moms.

It might be difficult to make the monument because it is made out of cement and I do not know where to find that, but I would try my hardest with all my heart. I have a lot of paint supplies because my grandma has paint that I have used before. I want to make the monument mini statues. I want the mini statues to be a surprise for Mother’s Day because I want them to be proud.

When I am 14, I will make the monument for them. It will take a month or so to make the monument. My grandma and my sister will help make the monument. I would bring the monuments to my mom’s bakery and spend Mother’s Day with her there.

4 | Ms. Abbey’s Class

Design Your Own Monument WHO or WHAT would you like to memorialize? _______________________________________________________________ Opening sentence to hook the reader’s attention: _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ What are some facts to support your proposal? _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ Share your feelings about why the proposed monument is important. _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ Describe your vision of the monument. Where would it be located? What does it look like? What is it made of ? _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ Conclusion to support your proposal: _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________

New Monuments | 5

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826 National was inspired to take a stand on issues of inclusion and diversity in light of the many events that spotlighted social and racial injustices throughout the country. We as educators, volunteers, and caring adults need to be aware of the wide range of issues our students face on a day-to-day basis. We need to support these young people as they navigate through and try to make sense of the world and their own identities.

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Through our inclusion statement, our internal diversity and inclusion group, cultural competency resources provided to staff and volunteers, and partnerships with other organizations, we are always working towards being a more inclusive and supportive organization.

We at 826 have the privilege of working with the next generation of scholars, teachers, doctors, artists, lawyers, and writers. It's our job to make sure they are able to take their own stands.

As an organization committed to encouraging youth in their creative expression, personal growth, and academic success, 826 National and its chapters recognize the importance of diversity at all levels and in all aspects of our work. In order to build and maintain the safe, supportive 826 environment in which great leaps in learning happen, we commit ourselves to inclusion: we do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, ethnicity, age, gender identity, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, nationality, marital status, English fluency, parental status, military service, or disability.

The 826 National network is committed to encouraging youth to express themselves and to use the written word to effectively do so. We encourage our students to write, take chances, make decisions, and finish what they start.

And 826 strives to do this in an environment free from discrimination and exclusion.

by Gerald Richards, CEO