Sunday Playlist - 5/9/2021

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzrVlXh4mc1OI3tYMVyiYYHeWTpAsw5Uj

Very early on Friday morning, I had the opportunity to teach a poetry seminar online to a small group of college students from Afghanistan. In their course at the American University of Central Asia, they had been reading about the history of slavery in the Atlantic world, so I chose poetry accordingly. We listened to Paul Robeson sing "Go Down, Moses," a spiritual that I've also included as the first song on the playlist this week. Understandably, this history and culture were unfamiliar to the students, but their interest and engagement were impressive. And they brought a unique perspective to it. Near the end of our conversation, one of the students wrote in the Zoom chat that she felt a connection to some of the poetry because as an Afghani, she is often troubled that everyone in the world seems to think of her and her people as "terrorists." How might we work to change that narrative? Perhaps we begin by seeking to know others at least as well as they attempt to know us. Americans are notoriously culturally self-centered. We might also keep in front of us at all times one of the beatitudes (also set to music on this week's list): "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God."