What Have We Become?

A poem questioning the state of our nation.

By Stasie O. from Oak Park High School - Oakland Writing Project in Michigan


The United States of America

It is the beacon of opportunity

But I feel it is falling under bigotry and tyranny

I ask myself every day:

What Have We Become?

But I can't help but mentally shut down and run

Because to ask myself this question confronts American history

Which to people like me, has caused generation of misery


I love my nation

I love it to pieces

But it treats some of its people like they are common cretans

I wonder how we can change

I know it's possible

The real question; is how?

How when we're at the point where hearing about violence is just the norm

How when people of differing opinions can't have a civilized conversation

How?

I. Don’t. Know.


What I do know is

If we changed before

Into what we are now

We can change once more

To become a more beautiful country than ever before.

Oak Park High School - Oakland Writing Project

Haun - 4th Hour

Honors Class

INEQUALITY

My story is about how America is not really what it is sought out to be. America is showed as this free, equal place. My essay is here to show my side of the real story .

Is the American Dream Achievable for everyone?

My response is about the everyday positives and negatives of being an american. It also focuses on immagrants and student debt. It answers the question, Is the American dream achievable for everyone?

African American Creed

My piece is about how American creed has nothing to do with the lives of African American people or other minorites, it only applies to white patriots. Black people don't have a true identity in this country, we are just statistics.

What Does it Mean to be Me? { An True American}

My poem is a letter to you all. Althoug it's pretty short it touches on several things in america. I used Repition in this poem because the rhyme and rhythm is important to me. I just think you'll feel it relatable and etc. I hope you enjoy!

Past and Present: A Family's American Creed

This short story is about how a family's decisions in the past has shaped the present generations-- and how it's connected to America's changes through time.

Being Black in America

This is a short video explaining my perception of being a young black man in America and my view on our country's history of what it was being black in America. Has there been much progress? Is there still more progress to be made?

Positives of America

Let's talk about how tolerable America is.

The Country that isn't free...

My Essay shows the facts about our country and how African Americans are treated. My essay shows stats and gives an insight to our community and the challenges we face as a culture.

The Truth Untold

My essay is about the struggles of being black and gay in america. This is a quick story about my life and how i don't feel like an american.

I AM AMERICAN

This is my poem about the everyday life of being an “Black American”

More responses from Oak Park High School - Oakland Writing Project

Surprise Me

This Is America

Growing up as a African-Amrican in America comes with several challeges. How we have to deal with the court system and enforcement with the police. How different cultures come to America to live a better life and have to deal with the world not accepting them and their religion.

Little Black Girl

Life as a African American female in a white mans world.

"Amazing" America

Is America really "America"? The land of the "free". I wrote an essay on how people think how America is so great when its not very perfect here either. We have our pros and cons but we are not the glory perfect land that people think we are.

This Is America: The Divided States

My essay evaluates the biggest division in America black vs white. The dispute has been going on for the longest and even though slavery has been "abolished" and all men and women are "equal", somehow we still find ourselves fighting for freedom and justice. We've yet to prevail.

American Creed vs American Dream

In my essay I talk about the American creed and how it relates to the American dream. I compare and contrast the actual definition of the two historical terms.

My American Creed

This is a short essay about how my father's actions have inspired me through the years and shaped who I am today.

The American Dream

The American Dream is not a reality or everyone. The incarceration rates in America and jail programs are a big reason why.

Generational Legacy

This is the story of how my family has made a name for themselves and set examples that many black people in America don't get.

Don't Deny the Poblems We Face

In this essay you will experience what it feels like to truly know America. People constantly want to tell others about how great America is by just reading in a book. America faces problems that are unforgiving and we must be aware of these problems.

American Expectations Vs. Reality

What the American creed expectations are and how everyone else should see them is way different then what it actually is.

America, The Land of the Free?

America is called the land of the free and we are supposed to have enumerable rights. Minorities in this country have to endure many hardships and only when everyone can come together as equals will America be a great country.

America's Obligation?

This poem is about how america is being sterotyped to be this amazing country. With stereotyping some things maybe a little true but theres truth to everything that comes with a good and a bad...But really the choice of a certain lifestyle is based souly upon the person at hand..

More responses from Michigan

Surprise Me

Growing Up in America With Immigrant Parents

I wrote about how my parents taught me to love who I am by being true to myself.

Expressing American Creed

How does music express the thoughts of diverse Americans on what it means to be American?

Living in America

In the wake of recent political turmoil in the US, including the 2016 election and movement for gun reform, I wrote this song in attempt to address the loss of respect within national discussions. For it is respect that is fundamental to bringing together such a diverse nation.

Division in America

A brief look into our past as a nation, taking a look at how division between Americans is nothing new.

American Individuals

How American individualism sets us apart from other nations. For better or for worse.

What America could use

A few things America could use to make the country a better place overall.

Immigration and America

I decided to craft an American Bald Eagle, since it often used to represent America. On it, I put snippets of stories from people who have immigrated to America.

Was Every Man "Created Equal" ?

The Declaration of Independence says that "all Men are created equal". Looking at the treatment of minorities during and after of which it was written, that statement says otherwise.

The Vitality of American Entertainment and Sports

Exploring how entertainment is a vital part of the United States of America and her culture.

Heroes of the American Melting Pot

My piece explores leaders who have fought back against discrimination and created opportunities for future generations of Americans.

Immigration Stories

The story of three different immigrants, and the reasons why they came.

The Opportunity of Education

My writing is about America being a land of opportunity, but there is a lack of accessibility to education to lower income families and immigrants.

More responses about "america" and "poetry"

Surprise Me

Improving Respect

In America today, respect is not found as commonly as it should be. Watch the video to understand more!

Ukulele of Unity

What does it mean to be American? Well, it takes more than one string to play a note, more than one fret to build a neck, and more than one person to be a band...

American Values

My essay is argues that american values can never be the same for all american citizens. In this essay I look at why these values become so diverse and how that plays a role in our country.

How To Bleed the American Creed

In this piece of writing I try and demonstrate how everyone can express their American creed through various actions.

Will's American Creed

I created this slideshow to show and explain my American Creed. I chose three phrases that I think are very important to this country and should be talked about because of how amazing they are.

America, Divided We Unify

How even though America is divided, we are able to unite under one cause.

Symbols that represent American Creed

American creed can be symbolized by different words/ symbols. Everyone has their own sense of what they think American Creed is and how it can affect them.

America: Our Current Problems and Future Solution

The essay that I've wriiten is about the major problem America is having with gun violence and why we as Americans need to find a way to stop this in order to live up to the expectation we have set for ourselves, that everyone in America is treated equally and respectfully.

Reality of the American Dream

My piece is about the varying views and realities on the American Dream.

American Culture and Values

My American Creed

My American Creed represents a country where all people are seen as equal, and were justice and human rights prosper.

Darkness

This is the digital story about the American Creed that I created in my critical literacies class. I wanted to show what America was really like in a poetic form. I'm glad I got to create this because I got to express my ideas.

What Rights Do We Have As Americans?

The rights of most people living in the US weren’t fully honored as much as the Constitution said it would. One right that is not fully honored is the right of having equality in this country. Till this day many African-Americans still suffer from racism.

Writing Our Future: My American Creed

My piece talks about what it truly means to be an American, and gives proof about what I mean.

My American Creed

Equality is my American Creed...

American Creed

The American Creed has different beliefs for different people. I explore three in the film "the American Creed' in this essay

The Electoral College is Failing America

The Electoral College is why Trump is in Office

Religion of America

My piece is about the rituals and symbols that make us American compared to the past to the modern day. The image is to compare the things we think of when someone says the word America, and how we treat them as symbols of our own identity, and the way we worship them.

Illegal Immigration and the American Creed

Do illegal immigrants deserve to fulfill their American Creed?

American Creed

My piece is about what it means to be an American.

American Creed Argument Paper

Use your voice and get to know your government better.

An American Medley (Poetry)

Composed by Mia Colony and Sydney Stephens. Poems Used: "We Leave To-Night" by F. Scott Fitzgerald and "Growing Up" by E.H. "How Would You Describe America?" is an original poem by Mia Colony and Abe Frank.

Whose America? Who's America?

My poem is about my understanding and, my experience in America vs. how a minority might experience it.

American Creed Project

How do words, symbols, or rituals express the American creed? This is a short, 5 minute observing Memorial Day and the reasons why Memorial Day expresses the American Creed.

Writing Our Future: American Creed is part of the National Writing Project’s family of youth publishing projects, all gathered under the Writing Our Future initiative.

Writing Our Future projects are designed by educators for educators and the young people they work with. Intended for use in schools, libraries, and other educational settings. All projects are COPPA compliant and educator-managed. NWP is committed to supporting young people’s writing and civic participation by providing a safe and supportive environment for youth writing, media creation, sharing, and publishing.