Take the Mic: Fictional Stories of Everyday Resistance

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My song “pls don’t b in luv” is about my experience growing up queer, and how I thought that if I told people, I would be looked at differently. What has been the best part of the Take the Mic experience so far?

As you can guess from the title of this poem, it was heartbreaking to read - how very young, brown, Muslim children are asked pointed questions about their faith which seem innocuous on the surface but are seeped full of racism and Islamophobia. And however old these young kids grow up to be and feel they are ready to handle these bad faith questions, it’s never easy. This particular line from the poem just destroyed me 😭😭 Open quotes; begin quotes; close quotes; end quotes; open double quotes; begin double quotes; close double quotes; end double quotes The story of a young indigenous girl, this is about her standing up for herself and not allowing anyone to disrespect her. It may feel like a very small thing but I thought what Grace does is very powerful and I loved it. There is also the underlying theme of wanting to find the one place you can call home and what it would actually feel like to have one. Very very moving. Gr 7 Up—With situations and language that feel contemporary and up-to-the-minute, this collection of short stories, poetry, and art capture small moments of everyday resistance. Editor Morrow has gathered works from a mix of big names and new faces, each demonstrating the tiny moments that underlie what it means to be a teen of color, to worship differently, to live with a disability, or to be your school's lone representative of your culture. These talented writers and artists, including Newbery honoree Jason Reynolds, New York Times best-selling author Samira Ahmed, and webcomic artist Connie Sun, explore themes including microaggressions, fear of the police, resistance fatigue, hate speech on social media platforms, and allyship in a way that feels visceral and real. Readers who find their own experiences reflected in these stories will feel seen and heard, and for others, the book provides windows into the everyday experiences of the teen members of various marginalized groups. VERDICT This anthology is a valuable addition to a social justice collection for its accessibility and breadth, encouraging readers to take the first step toward empathy and compassion for others. — Erin Downey, Boise School District, IDI think people should vote for me to spread the message of the song to people who need to hear it, like how I needed to hear it when I was younger. What’s your ultimate music goal?

Customize microphone access for specific apps by toggling on the "Allow Apps to Access Your Microphone" button or managing settings for Microsoft Store and non-Microsoft Store apps. To dictate an uppercase letter, say “uppercase” before the letter. For example, “uppercase A” or “uppercase alpha.” When you’re done, say “stop spelling.” Unfortunately, at this time you can only perform in one category. Either Contemporary, or Musical Theatre & Classical. Edited by Bethany Morrow, Take the Mic: Fictional Stories of Everyday Resistance came out in 2019 from Scholastic. Here’s the description:I believe people should vote for me because this is my dream and this is an incredible opportunity to make it come true. I believe that communities need to get behind artists. Also when living in a small town it is harder to get opportunities so I would appreciate the community to help me get this one. I believe I have what it takes, so watch my music video, listen to my song and decide for yourself. I need your vote! What’s your ultimate music goal? You may sing any style within your category. It must not contain explicit language, and should be appropriate for the age range of your division. Most importantly, choose a song that will entertain your audience. Grace - 5 stars - This was such a a great story of resistance, power, and standing up for what is right, even when not everyone is on your side. The first and last story in the book are Darcie’s. The first one is “Grace” and the last is “Homecoming.” In her introduction, Bethany wrote that the resistance in “Grace” is an Indigenous girl who doesn’t stand for unwanted physical advances. That does happen in the story and I love how it is done. As an Indigenous person, I see several other acts of resistance in Darcie’s stories. CALLUM FRANCISis an international musical theatre star, best known for his portrayal as 'Lola' in Kinky Boots on Broadway, London's West End, and the Australian Tour.

I’m not very good at understanding poems and that was the case here. It was very short and I didn’t know what the author was trying to say. But I will leave it unrated because it’s just not my thing and not a fault of the poem itself.I only recently started my journey towards being an anti-racist; I think a lot of folx began that journey in 2020. I wish I’d started sooner. I absolutely recommend adding this to your library if you’re working on 1) listening more to marginalized voices and 2) examining your own biases. Nonfiction is definitely important for those goals, but fiction has a crucial role to play, as well. Reading these “Fictional Stories of Everyday Resistance” gave me pause to think a lot, I usually only read a story or poem a day so I could let my thoughts . . . marinate? percolate? . . . so I could really absorb each story’s messages and questions.

I had the best experience with Take the Mic. My favourite part was working with Sasha who was the vocal coach. She helped me with expressing my emotions in the way I sing and also taught me how to sing with a powerful and strong voice. I am grateful that Sasha was there to help me before I recorded my song as it really helped me and everything went well. I also enjoyed experiencing shooting my own music video for the first time. It was a great experience. What drew you to music? The song I chose to take the mic is a song from High School Musical The Musical the Series. I wanted to sing this song because it was related to what I was going through at the start of this year! Even though this was not my own song, I got the chance to add my own spin to it with the assistance of the Take the Mic Musical Director. This song asks the question of whether the decision you made was the right one, and what life would have been like if you made a different decision. The song resonated with me because there were so many different choices I had to make after high school, and I thought a lot about how different my life could be depending on how I chose. What has been the best part of the Take the Mic experience so far? I entered Take The Mic as I thought it would be a fantastic experience and a great way to getmy name outthere but also to create a music video for my song ‘thedumbthingsyoudo’. Tell us about your song? What was the inspiration?

The boy loved having a mentor. He felt as if someone understood him and wont judge him for who he is. However, a couple weeks later he found out that his mentor was only hanging out with him for community service hours not because she wants to. She never told him how much she enjoyed hanging out with him. He felt as if he was betrayed and lied to. His mentor ended up apologizing to him and they continued there friendship even after they graduated. I wrote this song in September last year. This song is about feeling like somebody is losing interest, but you’ve already felt this way before. I wrote this song from a personal experience around liking someone and it not feeling reciprocated. The inspiration for this song was a person who was constantly on my mind. I find that when I have something troubling me the best way to get through it is writing it down in song. I felt inspired to write a song about how this person made me feel and that allowed me to interpret my true emotions. What has been the best part of the Take the Mic experience so far? This brings the first story in the collection a full circle with Grace finding a home, finally feeling connected to her indigenous land and also shutting down any debate about her heritage in the process. I thought the scene where her mom tells her that the best way of being part of the resistance is to love yourself, was simple but very meaningful. A great and powerful way to end the book. The most influential musician in my life is undoubtedly Alessia Cara. It is the uniqueness and authenticity of Alessia's music that made me fall in love with her music. The cleverness ofAlessia's lyrics inspires me, and I am inspired by her talent as a songwriter. Music like hers has helped me to heal during some of my toughest times, and that is what I hope to do with my own songs. Creating a safe space for people to confront feelings that aren't often discussed is what I aim to do with my music. Why should people vote for you?