This article (re)constructs the life of Barbara Rose Johns, a pivotal character in the American Civil Rights movement. Through a collection of poems, I tell Barbara’s story from multiple voices and vantage points. I use ethnographic historical fiction to allow both the documented facts and the imagined “truths” to coexist. I use poetry to add vibrancy and breadth to her story while accommodating multiple voices and perspectives. A reflective analysis considers the trouble of wedding fact and fiction. The piece ends with a brief discussion of how poetry can be used to highlight forgotten histories.
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