Appreciation: Defining June Jordan

New Crisis, The, Sep/Oct 2002 by Semitsu, Junichi P

June Jordan (1936-2002) was the most amazing teacher. Ever. Period. Despite being one of the many fortunate students she transformed into a poet, I can't seem to conjure up a metaphor to truly capture her.

No twister or tsunami could match the force with which Jordan, a professor of African American and women's studies, used words.

Jordan began lecturing at the University of California at Berkeley in 1986, and founded and, for the last 11 years, directed an unprecedented academic and artistic movement on the campus known as "Poetry for the People." She focused on poetry written by people ignored in most other university curricula, giving unprecedented respect to the invisible, the misrepresented, the forgotten.

No mosh pit or parade or stampede could capture the energy June infused into the program.

Every semester hundreds of students - of every race, religion and rhythmic potential - signed up to take this course. She presented these new poets in standing-room only readings. She expanded Poetry for the People to Berkeley High School and Dublin Women's Prison. And she helped publish a primer so that others could develop similar programs. No superhero or healer or hallelujah could exemplify how Jordan single-handedly transformed her students' lives. In every classroom she entered, she lived up to her nickname of "Universal Poet," sparking discussions on everything from affirmative action to Jesse Jackson to babies to bisexuality to bombs over Baghdad to Buddha to Palestine to Valentine's Day. But she didn't just lecture; she listened. She respected her students so much that we were forced to take ourselves seriously. But, with her infectious giggle and knockout style, she also made sure we were having a really, really good time.

Jordan grew up in Brooklyn, N.Y, and attended predominantly white schools before enrolling at Bamard College. An activist during the 1960s, she joined the Freedom Rides and directed the Search for Education, Elevation and Knowledge (SEEK) program in Connecticut. Her first poetry collection, Who Look at Me, was published in 1968. Four years later her novel, His Own Where, written in Black vernacular English, was nominated for a National Book Award.

While battling breast cancer, Jordan fought like hell for her life until early on the morning of June 14. Then she passed away gracefully, the way she lived. I have never seen a sunset or sunflower or sky spectacular enough to symbolize the spirit of her life.

No eclipse or earthquake or exclamation will match the impact Jodan leaves behind.

A memorial for June Jordan will be held on Berkeley's campus Sun., Sept. 15 at I p.m. For more information, call (510) 642-2743 or visit www .poetryforthepeople. com.

- Junichi P. Semitsu is the new director of UC Berkeley's Poetry for the People program.