This line is extremely powerful and made me sit back and think. The impact that “lynch rope” has is important for the setting stone of the poem. June Jordan grabs the audiences attention with this line because it is impactful and powerful.

Watch the juxtaposition of the two phrases. Lynch rope. Gang rape. The presence of the two phrases in the same line almost mirror one another. More juxtaposition is suggested in what we might call the lesser of two evils. Choose? This is hardly a choice.

With the author saying lynch rope and gang rape, it makes it seem as though she felt she only had those choices. Between the two choices neither of them seem like good choices at all, especially for someone that could be completely innocent

In this exclamation, Jordan says one is as terminal as the other. And seemingly the subject matter of what might use in “the blues” (a popular form of music attributed to Black culture).

Skin and sex are now equated with rope and rape. See how this is working. And, now, we see a bit of an economical theme coming out. Whether the poet pays her dues in skin or sex is a matter of what she seems to owe to a culture that would take either from her.

The poet claiming they don’t choose escape is to stand and to take a position against the choice that is not a choice.

This line may have a deeper meaning behind it. She could be saying that she is comfortable in the life she has, and is comfortable in her skin. When she says, “I have no wish to escape.” What could she mean by “escape?” What do you think she would be escaping?

I think this means that she is proud of her skin color and proud of her gender, and that she is not going to let other people’s prejudice get to her.

I think this line means despite the discrimination against her, and her skin color that she has no wish to escape who she is. Though the pain injustice brings her, she wouldn’t change herself to please other people. She is who she is and that’s all she has left.

June Jordan shows the audience her determination to end the violence, and to choose safety. Refusing to lose or get used to the idea of being physically abused all because of her gender and/or race. She refused to lose the flame/spark she carries. She’s driven to never lose her identity

I have noticed that throughout this poem that the “s” sound appears in every stanza, almost every line, and sometimes, multiple times in one line. I don’t know if this was Jordan’s choice or a coincidence that happened to work out. It might even be both. Another thing I noticed was that she uses words that seem confrontational such as “refuse,” “fist,” and “accuse.”

Again, this imagery of the tension of opposites, between ______ and ______. Standing firm in the middle.

I feel that this stanza is talking about the fear of losing safety. The fear of being seen differently because of gender or race, and that resulting in violence. The speaker acknowledges this fear though, by refusing to lose the meaning of that safety.

This stanza as a whole speaks mountains. The theme it screams at me is “Judge a man not by the color of his skin, but by the content of his character.” This stanza is all about that. Their gender and race doesn’t define them, their mind does.

what safety is June Jordan talking about? Safety from what? and why did she choose “this safety” instead another one?

All throughout this poem there is violence and conflict. Some examples are when Jordan says, “between your fist and my face” and “so against my pepper spray”. Also when Jordan says, “Black and blue news” this is another way of saying bruises.

This line shows how Jordan feels ostracized by her peers because of her gender, and how she feels ostracized by the authorities for her race.

Black and blue are colors associated with bruises. Bruises come from violence. Across America, news of police violence against African Americans has gained widespread attention. The police wear blue uniforms and are known now for enacting violence against people of color. The curt alliteration of “b” in the first line adds to the intense connotations of the line.

In this line the poet seems to suggest that to choose death is to wipe away the proof of the narrative of what it means to survive as a Black woman.

This line has a huge impact on the poem because it is talking about suicide, which is a huge problem right now in our world with everything that is going on.

“A permanent solution to a temporary problem”. This is what my text book at Prosser states about suicide. Wiping away the problems that could be solved because of outside and overwhelming influences. Wiping away what could have pointed the need for help, only to be discovered after it is too late.

This line mentions rich celebrities portrayed as heroes, which immediately made me think of the adage, don’t meet your heroes. Mainstream rich celebrities also seem to have scandals quite often, which shatters many peoples perceptions of their usually childhood heroes. Which seems to be the point of this stanza, to show that the rich are proud of cheating and proud of beating.

I think this line addresses the violence against women. The author speaks of gang rape and abuse through police officers. She says “Celebrity-Rich-Hero” which to me references people who seem like they’re good but in reality are cheating and beating their wives. I like how she adds black and white in parentheses to differentiate. I feel like people don’t just beat on their white wives or cheat on their black wives, it goes both ways but may relate to her situation. It implies that men proudly do these things with no worry for repercussion, normally someone being abused won’t share it.

I believe this is referencing to police break ins and how it can take away people’s feeling of safety in their most vunerable moment like sleep.

The author uses rhythm in this line when he rhymes “play” with “day”.

The author uses “your” repetitively in this line to make her point that it’s your choice because it’s your money and guns.

This line represents more than what is says from an aerial view. “Your money your guns your say,” this line is powerful in showing how Jordan feels about this counterpart, potentially a policing force, whom she feels is oppressive, controlling, and feels as if they reign supreme over any other group of people. Though Jordan brings this to light by saying it in a condescending matter, as she does not agree with such a take, yet it is the belief of the counterpart themselves.

Within America, over the past few years it has been a controversial subject over gun control. Whether Americans should be allowed to carry firearms or not. I feel that this will be a continuing controversy within the next couple years.

In this stanza you can feel the emotions that June Jordan is trying to express to the audience. The words and her tone she uses to show you the daily fight that she battles. Comparing money and guns to her pepper spray could be interpreted in many different ways.

This poem seems to be about police brutality, racism, and prejudice. The lines “Your money your guns your say, so against my pepper spray” seems to be referring to the police comparing pepper spray and guns. The author is putting the police officers on a pedestal with speaking about money and their “say” or the power of their words. Then she says that the police are so against her pepper spray, while referring back to the previous line where the police have guns. To out it simply: Guns are not a fair weapon to use in a pepper spray fight. I think the author is trying to convey that. She is also trying to convey, in this stanza, how damaging spreading horrible accusations can be.

Jordan writes in this line how people or others just brush off this argument and laugh at her. Other people along side her are trying to fight for equality. But when being laughed at she does not take it to heart. As those who are not trying to understand her fight, should not fight at all.

It seems to be a fight between people of color and their systemic oppression by the Police and policing forces. It also speaks on how people of color should not take the oppression lying down and must try to fight back.

the author uses rhyming in this poem by including “choose” and “news”

I believe this line of choosing between black and blue news, represent the opposing forces from each that views the other as the “enemy” so to speak. When one refuses to choose a side in a controversial issue they are viewed as uneducated and scared, however this represents how choosing the unbiased approach can generate hate from die-hard individuals in the opposing groups.

I think the poem is about police brutality against African Americans. When the author says “black,” he refers to African Americans, and when she says “blue,” she refers to police.

This line was used earlier in the poem. The author may have did this to hit on the idea that we are constantly hearing these cases of police brutality, which is a problem.

To fully understand this line, I think the line before really gives this line meaning. It’s pretty much implying that some interactions between the police and African Americans don’t end well.