The poem in question is "1,968 Winters" by Jacqueline Earley. It is significant because it allows the students to examine the visual images that certain colors evoke. The poem provokes a class discussion on why it is that black always seems to be associated with bad things in literature and white with the good. "1,968 Winters" is well chosen as it deals with the challenges of affirming a black racial identity in a white world, challenges that Andy, as an African-American student, needs to deal with every single day of his life. Those challenges include overcoming an ingrained culture of low expectations and racial stereotyping. They also include a "too cool for school" mentality which sees Andy downplaying his natural intelligence to fit in with the other boys.
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