BANNERS of PROTEST

Our school year began with a call to action. We joined youth activists from across Brooklyn, New York City, the United States and the world to stand in solidarity with science and the struggle for climate justice. Our school year comes to a close with another - connected - impassioned plea. We call for the recognition that BLACK LIVES MATTER! In the quest for equality, we ask for a re-imagining of all institutions that perpetuate systematic racism and discrimination in its many forms.

Please scroll all the way down the page to see the full collection of banners and poetry.

You will be rewarded for doing so. You will be moved and challenged by our community of artists!

We had the wonderful opportunity to visit the Whitney Museum virtually to explore the role of artists as social critic. As we examined democracy and its imperfections, we found inspiration in the work of Cauleen Smith and her banners.

We worked to use symbolic language in our own protest banners to convey a powerful message.

LEVI

BIEL

Levi Clarke

Protest Poem

There are peaceful protesters and there are looters.

To me they both do the right thing.

You might think that crazy why I think that.

You probably think that they're doing the wrong thing.

Think about why.

These people loot because they have nothing

And the reason they have nothing is because

They were slaves.

Black people had to work for people and got nothing in return.

Then that stopped when we built our foundation back

Since they did not like it, they burned our stuff.

So now we have nothing

So if you think now, about why people loot

It’s not because they want to destroy their town,

It's because we have nothing.

We never did .

So you might think we're trying to get revenge,

But we're trying to make it

Equal.

BLACK LIVES MATTER

HAMISH

Protest Poem

Justice

No justice,

No peace,

All lives matter

No guns,

No tear gas,

All lives matter

No racism,

No white cultists,

Black lives matter

GWENDOLYN

Protest

I’ve seen people with signs walking up and down the streets where I live.

I’ve heard people talking with others about justice and why they don’t feel safe.

I’ve felt that these protests were right and hopefully they will be succeed.

I’ve experienced giving money to justice organizations.

RAEANA

We are all the same

We are all the same.

We may be different on the outside,

But we are all flesh bones and blood inside.

What's on the outside doesn’t matter,

It’s our intentions and the

Feelings inside.

If a black person walked by you,

What would you do?

Would you:

Love them for who they are?

Wave and keep walking?

Try to make a conversation?

Most would have picked all three.

Others would have:

Stared…

Looked the other way…

Yelled…

Walked faster…

Called the police...

If a white person walked by you,

What would you do?

Would you:

Think they haven’t committed any crimes?

Start a conversation?

Wave?

Befriend them?

But others would have;

Walked a bit faster…

Looked away…

On the outside we’re different,

Most have birthmarks,

Skin conditions,

Facial differences,

And much more!

On the inside we’re the same,

Flesh,

Bones,

Hearts,

Organs,

Blood,

Lungs,

Tissue.

Everything’s the same in everybody.

We are all the same…..

TEMUJIN

Protest Poem

I do not know the protests of the past,

But I know they have been going on for a long time.

Probably for as long as people have been denied their basic human rights

Which has been a long, long time.

Too long.

Time is up.

Time for our agencies to listen to us.

We the people who provide their pay.

Our money keeps going to militarize our police, and to hide them when they

Are killing.

While our schools are left to make our

Teachers buy basics like tissues and toilet paper.

We the people who hire them to serve and protect.

Despite the hate that continues to stain,

We the people keep marching.

OSA

MAXWELL

Osa

Protest Poem

We Push out the truth to the skies with our voices,

and are met with more violence, rubber bullets and pepper spray.

The people of the city, the state, and beyond

are clamoring from their doorways

But the people of business suits,

money,

and greed

Are ignoring as we shout,

our voices strong, our signs held high.

Doing Nothing

This struggle is Universal,

But apparently they can’t see it from the high windows

of their fancy glass houses.

MORGAN

Black Lives Matter

Protest, we care

The anger we have, we share

The problems we face,

We don’t care about the race

Some help show anger

While the others keep us in danger

We deserve more

When it rains it pours

Pours tears

From the people who can’t let go of their fears

NORAH

NOIE

CHARLOTTE

PROTEST POEM

by Charlotte

Police

People

They are the same

Doing their jobs

Or doing the opposite

Depends on the perspective

Good

Bad

Or in the middle

Everyone is in the middle

No one is good

Or bad

Criminals

Police

Same thing

You give another chance

Until you can't

Think

Thinking is key.

AUBREY

Protest Poem

When all is lost ,

We know we have a voice.

When we can't figure out what to do,

We know we have a voice.

When things go wrong ,

We know we have a voice

Because we can protest!

ISA

Protest Poem

Plastic makes sure polar bears have no home,

Don’t use plastic or you will be living in dome

Made of plastic, with a bear that has no home,

So if you don’t use plastic you will live alone.

ADRIAN

MAXIMILIAN

Protest Poem

I am not your bullseye

I am not your target practice

I am not your punching bag

I am not your prey

It is time to take a stand

Stop targeting us!

RAMONA

Protest Poem

Why is the world sad?

Why is the world mad?

Look at the leaf,

In so much peace.

I don’t know what to say,

And now I have to pay.

My life is so rainy right now,

I feel so painy inside and out.

Why do we discriminate,

When we just ate?

Our fear grows larger and larger,

As our lives get longer and longer.

SUHANI

Protest Poem

Skin

If you take off my skin you get muscles

Muscles that show that we are the same

If you take off my Muscles you get bone

Bones that show we are the same

We all have a body

A body with guts

It takes a lot of guts to understand we all are the same

So we don’t need it,

Skin

We don’t need skin

REID

Protest Poem

We need to make a change

Our days are filled with rain

Sunshine needs to come out

A new world

A new day.

Let not America be great again

But let it be new and different

From last time.

MA'AYAN

LUCA

WALKER

ISAIAH

SOOKIE

Protest Poem

Power to the people!

No one can bring us down

They can try

Tear gas, guns, the police

Just another struggle

For people to be equal, for everyone to have rights

Why do we have to keep fighting the fight

People already fought?

The believers have already won once before

Why do we need to fight again?

Why can't there be an end to this never ending

struggle?

ZADIE

ISHARA

Not supposed To Be

This is not right.

We cannot accept this.

We are destroying ourselves.

This is what it has become.

An abandoned room.

BANNERS of PROTEST

Please scroll all the way down the page to see the full collection of banners and poetry.

You will be rewarded for doing so. You will be moved and challenged by our community of artists!

We had the wonderful opportunity to visit the Whitney Museum virtually to explore the role of artists as social critic. As we examined democracy and its imperfections, we found inspiration in the work of Cauleen Smith and her banners.

We worked to use symbolic language in our own protest banners to convey a powerful message.

LEVI

BIEL

Levi Clarke

HAMISH

GWENDOLYN

RAEANA

We are all the same

TEMUJIN

Protest Poem

OSA

MAXWELL

Osa

Protest Poem

We Push out the truth to the skies with our voices,

and are met with more violence, rubber bullets and pepper spray.

The people of the city, the state, and beyond

are clamoring from their doorways

But the people of business suits,

money,

and greed

Are ignoring as we shout,

our voices strong, our signs held high.

Doing Nothing

This struggle is Universal,

But apparently they can’t see it from the high windows

of their fancy glass houses.

MORGAN

Black Lives Matter

NORAH

NOIE

CHARLOTTE

AUBREY

Protest Poem

ISA

Protest Poem

ADRIAN

MAXIMILIAN

Protest Poem

RAMONA

Protest Poem

SUHANI

Protest Poem

REID

Protest Poem

MA'AYAN

LUCA

WALKER

ISAIAH

SOOKIE

Protest Poem

ZADIE

ISHARA

Not supposed To Be

MADELEINE

IKE

The Young driven into fits of tears over people they've lost.

(Gianna misses her daddy.)

The old weeping over their children who perished because they were walking in the wrong neighborhoods.

(Sybrina misses her son.)

The siblings of the people who are gone, lying lonely in their bunks, missing a part of their world.

(Tajai misses her big brother.)

The in-between White People, doing too little, being alone, and fragile.

(White Silence Is Violence.)

The unborn not knowing the unjust world they are being born into.

(I would rather stay there, protected.)

The rich and powerful Looking for more wealth, they are never satisfied.

(How Many More Lives Until They Realize?)