How I Persevered - The Chicago Poetry Center

How I Persevered

This week MLK Academy 6th, 7th, and 8th students explored poetry about perseverance, overcoming obstacles to reach achievement. Together students read “Harlem Hopscotch,” by Maya Angelou. In her poem Angelou uses the game of hopscotch to symbolize the adversities African Americans faced not only in the past, but still today when trying to gain equality. Since you black, don’t stick around/Food is gone, the rent is due/Curse and cry and then jump two. Angelou gives hope to her readers, that despite racism and poverty we can preserve and gain success. Both feet flat, the game is done/They think I lost, I think I won. Hopscotch is like life with twists and turns, ups and downs, but if we believe in ourselves and ignore the naysayers, we can reach our goals.

Inspired by Maya Angelou, students wrote poems about moments in their lives when they overcame obstacles and persevered. Please enjoy these published poems.

MLK Academy

A Time Of Joy Stephon

I remember I was playing the 2k and it was tied up and it
was my team’s ball. I shot the game point and we won. I was
so happy cause my team and I won prizes. Then when we
played Fortnite and it was the end of the game. It was 3v3
and I had health problems, yet we still won. So that’s how I
overcame an obstacle.

How I Persevered London

Making friends can be hard.
Disliking talking to people makes it harder.
But you need to build up courage to talk to others.
You need people to talk whether you want to or not.
It’s nice to have friends.
They can introduce their friends to you.
Then you have more friends.