Seven Last Words of the Unarmed
Educational resources on race and police violence in collaboration with the Seven Last Words of the Unarmed choral project and documentary.
Michael Brown. Trayvon Martin. Oscar Grant. Eric Garner. Kenneth Chamberlain. Amadou Diallo. John Crawford.
These African-American men – each killed by police or authority figures – are the subjects of a powerful multi-movement choral work by Atlanta-based composer Joel Thompson titled "The Seven Last Words of the Unarmed.” The piece was premiered in 2016 by the University of Michigan Men’s Glee Club under the direction of Eugene Rogers, associate director of choirs and professor of conducting at the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance.
The story of this collaboration and a powerful performance of the piece by the Men’s Glee Club, along with their moving rendition of John Legend’s song Glory, from the Selma motion picture soundtrack, are presented in the Michigan Media documentary film, Love, Life, and Loss.
These educational resources are meant to complement this film and help educators engage with the complex and important issues of race and police violence. The guide includes tips on how to prepare for and address controversial issues in the classroom, discussion protocols and questions to process the film, a supplementary reading with guiding questions to provide important background knowledge, and ideas for extension projects for students.
