Citizen: An American Lyric

Citizen: An American Lyric

• Genre: Poetry; Prose; Nonfiction; Cultural Commentary
• Originally Published: 2014
• Reading Level/Interest: College/Adult
• Structure/Length: The book consists of multiple sections that combine poetry, prose, and images in 7 chapters; approx. 160 pages; approx. 1 hour and 37 minutes on audiobook
• Central Concern: In Citizen, Claudia Rankine crafts a powerful and poignant commentary on race and racism in contemporary America. Through a mix of lyric essays, poetry, and visual art, Rankine illustrates the everyday microaggressions, prejudices, and systemic injustices faced by Black individuals. By blurring genres and using a second-person perspective, she invites readers to experience and confront the often subtle yet pervasive racial aggressions, making a compelling case for the urgency of dialogue and introspection on racial biases.
• Potential Sensitivity Issues: Discussions of racism, racial microaggressions, and related systemic issues; emotional and personal accounts of racial discrimination

Claudia Rankine, Author

• Bio: Born 1963 in Kingston, Jamaica; poet, essayist, and playwright; professor of poetry at Yale University; tackles themes of race, identity, and the contemporary Black experience in various forms
• Other Works: Don't Let Me Be Lonely: An American Lyric (2004); The White Card: A Play (2019); Just Us: An American Conversation (2020)
• Awards: Citizen: An American Lyric received numerous accolades, including the National Book Critics Circle Award in Poetry and the Forward Prize for Best Collection; it was also a finalist for the National Book Award in Poetry.

CENTRAL THEMES connected and noted throughout this Teaching Guide:

• Microaggressions
• The Lie of “Post-Racial” America
• Citizenship

STUDY OBJECTIVES: In accomplishing the components of this Teaching Guide, students will:

• Develop an understanding of the historical and sociological contexts regarding race and structural racism in American society, which impact Rankine’s narrative.
• Analyze paired texts and other brief resources to make connections via the text’s themes of Microaggressions, The Lie of “Post-Racial” America, and Citizenship.
• Prepare and participate in an in-class debate that demonstrates an understanding of Rankine’s arguments of a post-racial America, based on text details.
• Examine and evaluate the images, formatting, structure, and style of Rankine’s text to draw conclusions in structured essay responses regarding the author’s purpose, themes, and other topics.