Name: Jordan Rodriguez

Professor Orwig

English 110

Date: 2/14/2023

This text is called “Nobody Mean More to Me Than You And the Future Life of Willie Jordan” and it was written by June Jordan. This text is a personal narrative and a reflection made for the purpose of educating the reader. It was published by Harvard Educational Review on September 1st 1988. This text is about June Jordan’s students in her English 110 class, where she is teaching them about “Black English”. She teaches them about its significance and importance, so they can be confident speaking it and understand it as a whole. She empowers them with her teachings, so they can feel like they are validated and have the freedom to express themselves. Their family did not understand the purpose of learning this in school. In the text it says “It was hard. Roommates and family members ridiculed their studies, or remained incredulous, “You studying that shit? At school?”. Even though their family did not understand the purpose of such a class, as is with a lot of classes that are not common like psychology, it had a purpose. Confidence and empowerment makes for smarter students, and ones who are willing to go the extra mile with their education and with their career. 

The purpose of this text is to teach the reader about her experiences with her students and as a teacher as a whole. It is significant because it described the challenges associated with teaching students about a controversial and touchy subject that may upset some students. In the beginning of the text it says “Progressive teachers often face the problem of making education in the schools relevant to life outside of the schools. They are confronted regularly with the challenge of introducing controversial subject matter that often forces students to examine critically their values and worldviews, and their positions in this society.” This quote explains how students have different viewpoints so teachers have to be mindful of that, and how teaching  about Black culture has to be relevant to students’ education. The discussion of Police Brutality towards Black Americans with her students is a sensitive subject since they experienced it first hand with their friends or family being victim to it. Her role as a teacher is important because she is teaching her students about Black Culture and Black English so it can’t be erased or remembered, but rather validated as being legitimate culture and legitimate english. Overall, while I do not personally relate to the described experiences, I believe this text is well written and thorough in its explanation of the importance of her teaching. I believe it is good for those who it can relate to more and those who are uneducated on Black Culture, Black struggles, and the Validity of Black English.