Writing to Right Wrongs (WRW) started in 2017 as a joint project between the Fair Housing Center of West Michigan (FHCWM) and The Diatribe, a local artist’s collaborative focused on helping youth find their voices and cope with challenges. It is an interactive, fair housing and social justice-themed program for the purpose of enriching high school students and their families’ understanding of civil rights and the impact where one lives has on how one lives, while cultivating the students’ creative writing and public speaking skills. The nine week program fits well with high school English and American History curriculum among others. Each session is led by two Diatribe artists and at least one FHCWM staff member and is split between content delivery and application of that content in the form of discussion, exercises, writing prompts, and sharing.
The curriculum includes interactive presentations, simulation experiences, live spoken word performances by the artists as well as the students, graded participation, and community exploration. Through these components students have the opportunity to explore what fair housing means to them and in what ways they can get involved in their community, all while developing speaking and writing skills through the rich and inclusive culture of spoken word. The poetry and creative components are designed to provide students the opportunity to create their own art and share their voice, as well as further their speaking and writing skill sets. The program’s goal is to combine fair housing focused civil rights content and the spoken word to empower high school students with a better understanding of their rights and the importance of place as well as how to use their creative voice in positive ways to express themselves and impact their community.