Many of our members are poets, writers, and artists. Over the years, our members have written a number of pieces that address themselves to street harassment.
In 2004, we worked together to write a collective poem called “Who’s Afraid of the Big, Bad, Wolf in the Hood.” This poem has been published in a book called Shout Out: Women of Color Responding to Violence published in 2008.
YWAT Leadership Core Member, Lillian Matamni, Reads a Poem at January 2008 Book Release Event at Women & Children First Bookstore
Who’s Afraid of the “Big, Bad, Wolf” in the HOOD.
Sometimes walking down the STREET
Feels like an OBSTACLE COURSE.
We are constantly trying to avoid DANGER.
It’s like Lil’ Red Riding Hood
Who was sent into the WOODS
To take food to her sick old grandma and
Was attacked instead by the BIG BAD WOLF.
For us,
the STREETS sometimes seem filled with
BIG BAD WOLVES.
In our neighborhood which is THE HOOD,
The WOODS are streets with names like
Morse, Howard, Touhy, and Clark.
In our neighborhood which is THE HOOD,
The wolf WHISTLES
And CALLS like a CAT.
He says:
“Oh what nice LEGS you have.”
“Oh what a beautiful BODY you have.”
He calls us lovely, FAT ASS, sexy, SKANK,
thick, STUCK UP, all that, BITCH, on fire, HO!
We hear the INSULTS – they are like claps of THUNDER.
In our neighborhood which is THE HOOD,
The wolf INVITES us to “come kick it with him.”
He asks for the DIGITS.
When we say NO, he SPITS OUT
“You ain’t SHIT anyway!”
He offers us a smoke and maybe a drink.
He doesn’t care if we’re 12 or 18.
This wolf is an equal opportunity HARASSER.
In our neighborhood which is THE HOOD,
The wolf makes us believe that
We are being HARASSED
Because of the way we LOOK or DRESS or just
Because “BOYS WILL BE BOYS.”
Whatever the case, he makes us BELIEVE it is
OUR FAULT.
We take the BLAME — what did YOU do?
In our neighborhood which is THE HOOD,
Lil’ Red FIGHT BACK.
She refuses to be SWALLOWED whole by the
BIG BAD WOLF.
She STANDS on the corner of Morse Ave and
Demands R-E-S-P-E-C-T.
She
Demands An END TO STREET HARASSMENT.
She prints up thousands of posters with these words
And HANGS them everywhere in the H-O-O-D.
In our neighborhood which is THE HOOD,
Lil’ Red is
Tan and Mocha
Caramel and Coffee
Brown and Black.
Her name is Shannon and Shauniece,
Crystal and Christine,
Renee and Ronnett,
Jonnae and Jackquette,
Jasmine and Joyce,
Emilya and Daphnee,
Karia and Geri.
In our neighborhood which is THE HOOD,
Lil’ Red is
NOT afraid
of the BIG BAD WOLF.
Written by the Rogers Park Young Women’s Action Team and Mariame Kaba (2004).
Check out the resources section for more YWAT writing related to Street Harassment!
