"Today, I Am A Witness To Change" ● Crowdsourced Poem on NPR
'Today, I Am A Witness To Change': A Crowdsourced Poem Against Anti-Asian Hate ● NPR
This crowdsourced poem brings a common, shared struggle among the American Asian community into focus by displaying the regular interactions one may face while carrying out their daily life. I found this poem during the height of the Asian Hate movement on NPR, where I often perused podcasts and news. I found that the nature of the poem's collaboration and effort from various individuals, compiled by Kwame Alexander, embodied the vast majority of those who suffered and endured discrimination and prejudice. As a result of its inclusive nature, it was important to incorporate an artifact that stood for a majority who experienced a common prejudice.
The artifact supplies a unique perspective on the situation by creating a sense of optimism and perseverance toward the end of the poem. The author achieves this effect through the lines "Today I ache" (Alexander 5) and "Today, I rise" (Alexander 124). The juxtaposition between the tone of beginning and the end highlights growth, indicating the signs of acceptance assimilating into society. Rather than framing the situation on a specific hate crime as found in many news or video sources, the poem creates a spectrum of events, giving a broader, positive sense of the situation not found in a lot of other artifacts.
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