From 'Dialogues on Race'
"Your Only Child" (from 'A Wreath for Emmett Till') by Marilyn Nelson. This is a collection of poems that discuss the lynching of a 14 year old black boy in Mississippi. The poem that I chose, “Your Only Child,” compares the pain of the boy’s mother to that of Mary, the mother of Jesus. Mary was “proclaimed  blest” by the angel who came to her at the Annunciation. Mamie Till Mobley insisted that her son lie in an open casket so the world could see how savagely he had been murdered. She remained an activist for civil rights for the rest of her life. The melodic content comes directly from the text.

03 - Gregg August - Your Only Child (first Statement, Male Singer)

From 'Dialogues on Race'
“I Rise” (from Still I Rise) by Maya Angelou. 
This straightforward poem acknowledges that we need not depend upon anyone else's opinion but our own. Her moral opulence allows her to rise above where her ancestors fell to slavery.

04 - Gregg August - I Rise

From 'Dialogues on Race'
“Sky” by Richard Katrovas. In this poem, the narrator, a white man, encounters a black teenager while walking his dog on a pleasant morning in New Orleans. He’s quick to show empathy for the boy, commenting to us about his disheveled appearance and thin body, and even attempts to read his body language, thinking the boy is telling him that he need not fear, that he only wants to enjoy the morning sun. No words are exchanged, only presumptions. These two worlds are completely unfamiliar to each other.

05 - Gregg August - Sky

06 - Gregg August - Your Only Child (second Statement, Solo Bass)

From 'Dialogues on Race'
'I Sang in the Sun' by Carolyn Kizer. 
This comes from her poem “Race Relations” in which the poet describes identifying with the struggle of African-Americans, albeit from a safe and sometimes naïve distance. Though I did not use the entire text, the melody and cadences are born literally from her prose.

07 - Gregg August - I Sang In The Sun

From 'Dialogues on Race'
Mamie Till Mobley describes seeing her son's brutalized body at the funeral home. She demanded his casket remain opened, so the entire world could see what had happened to him.

08 - Gregg August - Mother Mamie's Reflections

From "Dialogues on Race'
'Your Only Child' (from 'A Wreath for Emmett Till') by Marilyn Nelson. This is a collection of poems that discuss the lynching of a 14 year old black boy in Mississippi. The poem that I chose, “Your Only Child,” compares the pain of the boy’s mother to that of Mary, the mother of Jesus. Mary was “proclaimed  blest” by the angel who came to her at the Annunciation. Mamie Till Mobley insisted that her son lie in an open casket so the world could see how savagely he had been murdered. She remained an activist for civil rights for the rest of her life. The melodic content comes directly from the text.

09 - Gregg August - Your Only Child (third Statement, Female Singer)

From 'Dialogues on Race'
'Sweet Words on Race' by Langston Hughes.  
The ironic tone of this poem is anything but sweet. It expresses frustration at the words spoken on the matter of race in this country. They don’t appear to be sincere because the words spoken have not always been followed up by appropriate action or behavior.

10 - Gregg August - Sweet Words On Race

From 'Dialogues on Race'
'The Bird Leaps' (from 'Caged Bird') by Maya Angelou. 
This poem is a representation of the racism and oppression that people still face in this day and age. It goes on to portray the importance of hope and freedom for anybody to live.