Grades 9–12
60+ Minutes
Narrative, Poetry
VideosRev. Dr. Jacqueline Lewis is Senior Minister at Middle Collegiate Church in New York City. She is the first African American and first woman to serve in that position, which dates to 1628. Lewis is an activist, preacher, and fierce advocate for racial equality, economic justice, and LGBTQIA+ equality. In addition, Lewis is the author of several books, including The Power of Stories: A Guide for Leading Multi-racial, and Multicultural Congregations (2008), 10 Essential Strategies to Grow a Multiracial, Multicultural Congregation (2018), the children’s book You Are So Wonderful! (2020) and Fierce Love: A Bold Path to Ferocious Courage and Rule-Breaking Kindness That Can Heal the Word (2022).
About Life Stories
Life Stories is a non-profit media organization that creates and distributes documentaries, interviews, and educational resources about people whose lives inspire meaningful change. These stories address issues of civics, history, politics, the arts and culture by shining the spotlight on relatable human stories of purpose and meaning in times of change. Life Stories provides open access to all their content for communities and classrooms through their curated website and YouTube channel.
About The Thread
The Thread is a new documentary interview series by Life Stories, exploring what it means to live a purpose-driven life through conversations with multi-faceted people who have helped shape our society. Each 30-minute episode takes viewers on a personal journey into the life of extraordinary people who candidly share their triumphs and failures. The Thread is available on the Life Stories website and YouTube channel, and as a podcast across all major platforms. Teaching The Thread brings the series into the classroom with episode lessons designed to strengthen social emotional learning and media literacy skills and expand the scope of subject matter in Social Studies and English Language Arts. Future seasons of The Thread will include similar curricular support.
Introduction:
In this video, Rev. Dr. Jacqueline Lewis recalls how difficult childhood experiences shaped her commitment to activism. She shares her belief in the interconnectedness of humanity, advocates for conscious voting and learning from diverse perspectives, emphasizes the importance of self-love as a foundation for “fierce-love,” and acknowledges the power of individuals to make a positive impact to change the world. Please visit “Rev. Dr. Jacqueline Lewis: Finding Wisdom in Pain,” to see the full lesson created by Life Stories.
Content Notes:
STEP 1
To begin, watch the video from 19:21–28:01. Read this quote, and then answer the following questions in your writing journal:
Rev. Dr. Jacqueline Lewis said, “. . . being curious about yourself grows your muscle for being curious about others, and that curiosity for people who are different from you is the foundation for fierce-love and advocacy work.”
What does “fierce-love” mean to you? What does “being curious about others” mean to you? How do you think they connect?
STEP 2
One aspect of fierce-love that Rev. Dr. Jacqueline Lewis mentions is the act of knowing yourself while staying awake to the parts of your identity that are ever-changing. It’s in this state of self-awareness that you develop empathy and natural curiosity for others; that empathy for others will fuel your advocacy work—because you’ve chosen to love others fiercely, without judgment, you are better equipped to see how you can support them.
The work of fierce-love begins with fiercely loving yourself. Next, you will begin exploring parts of your self-identity, using the Starburst Identity Chart on page 1 of the Excavate Your Story—Handout Write your name in the gray box. Then, write words and phrases that describe elements of your identity at the ends of the lines. Feel free to add more lines. Below are some components of self-identity to help you brainstorm; however, only use words and phrases that resonate with you, your identity, and your experiences:
STEP 3
After you’ve completed your identity chart, pause for a moment and read the elements of your identity that you called out. Answer the reflection questions on page 2 of the handout.
Then, return to your identity chart and circle 3–5 of the identity words and phrases you wrote down. Try to select a mix of the identities you already know you love and the identities you are still learning about. Then, find the Your Identities Chart on page 3 of the handout. In the first column, write the identity words and phrases you circled. In the second column, write what you love about that identity. In the third column, write about what power that identity gives you.
STEP 4
Finally, write a poem or a narrative about who you are and the power you possess. Write your piece in your writing journal. Here are some ideas to help you get started:
I am a theater kid.
Before every show, I am a candle waiting to be lit
The audience’s applause energizes me
To perform my best every night.
STEP 5
Finally, reflect on a phrase that Rev. Dr. Lewis said in the video: “excavate your story.” The word excavate means “uncover.” Do you feel like you began excavating your story? What will you do next? How will deepening your understanding of yourself help you engage in acts of fierce-love? Write your reflections in your writing journal.
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