Writing/Essay/Journal
Tish Jones uses her poetry as a way to learn about her heritage and history, and to spark dialogue about issues such as racism and social injustice. She also provides others these chances through her work as a community organizer.

Tish held a protest in north Minneapolis addressing the issue of high murder rates. Unlike a traditional protest, Tish chose to organize a silent protest. Write about why you think she made this decision. How can silence be just as impactful as a spoken message?

Activity
Think about your identity in terms of family, culture, race, history, values and hopes and write a poem—spoken word or written—about something that is important to you. Use her lines to begin your poem: “I’m _____ and I’ve been called here to represent __________.”