Strength of a Nation Discussion Guide

An exercise designed to engage youth in a discussion about self-esteem; consequences of unresolved anger, fear and pain; and male/female relations.

»Download the Discussion Guide in PDF format (82kb).

Objective: To engage youth in an energetic, peer-centered discussion about self-esteem and ways to develop high self-esteem through the analysis of Strength of a Nation Vol. 1: Track # 2: Keep Your Head Up 2 (lyrics).

Time: Dependent on group size the activity should last no more than 20-35 minutes.

Materials: Printed lyric sheets*, highlighters, CD player, Strength of a Nation, Vol. I CD, pens and pads.

How it works: Students are given the lyrics to “Keep Your Head Up 2” (SON, Track 2) - a hip-hop song with a positive message. A discussion leader plays the song and the audience follows along with the lyrics and circles or highlights the passages that stand out or that have some type of meaning to them personally. After the song has finished playing, students volunteer to answer the following question(s)?

What is the artist trying to say? What does this song say to you about child abuse and neglect? What does this song say to you about the educational system? What does this song say to you about male/female relations? What do the lyrics mean to you in your life? What does this song say about self-esteem? What are some of the ways a person in this situation can build high self-esteem? Think about people you know who demonstrate high self-esteem, what do they demonstrate? Do you know someone whose self-esteem has improved over the years, what lead to the improvement? What did they do?

Everyone involved in this discussion now has an opportunity to write their own 8 bar verse about building high self-esteem. An 8 bar verse is 8 written lines of four counts each (a great time to introduce music concepts). Continue to play the track on low while everyone writes his or her own verse (you can download the instrumental version on www.ydrf.com).

Allow each person the opportunity to perform his or her verse. Upon completion of the exercise, ask each person to share what they leaned from this activity.

Track 2, lyrics sheet: Keep Your Head Up Daddy by CoalMan

“Yeah, keep your head up!

I know it seems hard sometimes
But remember one thing, through every dark night there is a bright day after that, so no matter how hard it get, stick your chest out, keep your head up and handle it.

Hey let me talk to my youngins in the street for a minute
Cause I ‘m try to reach this world before I’m finished.
I know it is hard for you to live in these rough conditions
Or make smart decision when you in this position
Cause most of the time we take the wrong way out but it is time for us to take the strong way out
I know that is seems like people don’t care but Coalman carse if nobody else care.

But don’t cry dry your eyes and keep on praying and just try to hold on to these words I'm saying
Cause this world is going to get worse before it gets better
But I’m going to keep writing you love letters
And now lets take a quick look at what happened on 911
God said it and now thy shall be done
And in the words of Tupac Shakur they got money for war but can’t feed the poor
Keep your head up

Chorus
To all my youngins in the street, now, how they packin heat, how I see you on the creep
Before you get wet up, I know people look down and they always frown, and they tryin to keep you down, I know u get fed up, I know things are looking ,bad now, got ya real mad now but if you let it get down , you got to get on up.
Stand up tall, straight up you back , stick out your chest.

And little girl people might ask what’s wrong with you because they don’t understand the things that you ve been through,
and they don’t know how your mama was broke and she would take the welfare check and blow it up in smoke.
And they don’t know that you didn’t eat dinner last night, no bath, no bedtime stories or no hugs tonight.
And they don’t know that you didn’t eat breakfast this morning except cracker and cheese to calm your stomach,
and they don’t know that you put on the same panties, same socks , same pants and shirts with spots,
and then sent off to school, shoved out the door, nappy head and clothes from the day before,
and the teacher don’t understand why you keep being rude. Why your homework aint done and why u in a bad mood.
Cause baby that don’t have a hunch at why you feel sick cause you aint got money for lunch.
And I know this is gonna shock ya, but when she get home mama boyfriend might wanna play doctor.
Penetrating her fraile body its evident, that she’s screaming out for help but yaull keep missing it,
destroying everything inside that was innocent, suicide notes from a nine year old cause she is pregnant.
But little girl it ain’t your fault, so please stop looking down at the asphalt and keep your head up.

Chorus
Chorus
To all my youngins in the street, now, how they packin heat, how I see you on the creep
Before you get wet up, I know people look down and they always frown, and they tryin to keep you down, I know u get fed up, I know things are looking ,bad now, got ya real mad now but if you let it get down , you got to get on up.
Stand up tall, straight up you back , stick out your chest.

I remember James Brown made me say it loud, put my fist in the sky and be black and proud.
And suddenly the ghetto didn’t seem so bad because we was all glad with the things we had.
Mamma used to be hate for me to be on the block, because she thought I get shot or either locked up.
I realized mama really paid the price working one job 36 years of her whole life.
And where was my father when I needed one, the ghetto is a father to so many fatherless sons,
I know some of yaull wanna be fathers but it aint you fault all the time, sometimes it your baby’s mamas.
And girlfriend you know you wrong for that, don’t keep your child from their Pops like that, now stop that..
To the ladies having babies on their own daddies long gone, you gotto be strong it time to move own…
And if he aint giving you child support, then girl that when you take him to court..
but be patient. Because I think we can survive through this set-up, ride and keep your head up and stop getting fed up.
Cause I still got hope for the youth and the truth is still I got hope for the future.
So will my real men get up. And stop being thugs , let’s put down the guns and keep your head up.

Free Flow: Building High Self Esteem: A Message to Your Peers (8 bar verse)

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