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POP Culture Classroom, Stonewall Riot Comic Interview

POP Culture Classroom, Stonewall Riot Comic Interview

POP culture classroom

Pop Culture Classroom, a Denver-based nonprofit, created a new progressive way to get students interested in literature and history with “Project Based Learning.” Pop Culture teacher Matt Slayter collaborated with Arvada High School Teacher Kyle Smoker to begin the year-long planning and implementing process of the comic strip. The student’s themselves use their team-building skills to choose a point in history that resonates with them: the Stonewall Riots.

“Pop Culture Classroom is the comic publisher that these students are working for right or that they are submitting work to that’s giving them real-world experience, creative thinking, and experience team building,” says Slayter.

While interviewing the Arvada seniors, it was clear they had passion for this Stonewall Riots piece.

What impact from the Stonewall Riots can you still see today ?
Ziah Madsen(She/Her): Well it kind of like kicked off the modern civil rights/gay rights movement. It helped push for equality overall in legislation, and it feels more accepted. There’s still a whole lot to do, but better than where we were.

What does positive queer representation in the media mean to you ?
Mikey Coulter (They/Them): Basically, I grew up in a church community, and it took me a long time to accept that and understand that about myself because I didn’t have that representation in the media. So, seeing that now more commonly these days means so much because it’s like, ‘Oh wow, that’s me, and that’s OK.’

How does it feel to be a youth advocate yourself ?
Eddie Sawin (He/Him): You know, it’s cool. It’s cool to have this opportunity to advocate for a group which has been marginalized throughout history itself. It’s really neat.

Which Stonewall Riot Activist resonates with you the most ?
Ziah Madsen (She/Her): Both Johnson and Sylvia, they were lifelong activists for LGBT rights. It was not like they were just a part of the Stonewall riots; they did other stuff as well.

Mikey Coulter (They/Them): Stormy was also a lifelong activist. She became this token of guardianship, but at the same time, Sylvia and Marsha created the organization and forefronted the movement for trans rights in the queer community. So, either/or, I love them both.

Eddie Sawin (He/Him): Marsha P. Johnson because she, in addition to being a leader in the movement for trans and LGBT rights, was a woman of color at the time when that group faced discrimination. So, I feel like for her having to overcome both of those factors is incredible.

Arvada teacher Kyle Smoker was more than ecstatic about this opportunity for his students, adding, “We focus on Project Based Learning, and we try to get the kids working on stuff that interests them like real life issues. As a social studies teacher myself, I’m always trying to talk to the kids about how they have more power than they think they do. Especially when you’re in high school, and the world is full of adults around you. It’s exciting to see these kids being able to exercise their power and their voice.” 

While interviewing Pop Culture teacher Matt Slayter, he educated me on exactly what the nonprofit program is all about.

What inspired you to conduct this assignment for your students ?
Matt Slayter (He/Him): Pop Culture is a Denver-based nonprofit, and we conduct workshops in local schools, libraries, and community centers. We also create resources for teachers that they can use in their classrooms to incorporate pop culture into the classroom. One of the resources we created is a line of comics called “Colorful History.” Colorful History is two to four pages, and we release it in-house. We hire artists/writers. We’ve done 60 issues so far; they’re all about people, places, and events in Colorado history and in U.S. history. So, what we do is go into the high schools and pitch that they will be working on a comic. These students write a script, and then we hand it over to a professional artist to see their visions come to life.

Why do you believe this piece of history should be taught to our youth ?
Matt Slayter (He/Him): Everyone should know their history and the history that allows them to have certain privileges or experiences. It’s important to know that you couldn’t always walk down the street as a queer or trans person and be comfortable. So, I think it’s important to know where this comes from and who the pioneers were.

Pop Culture Classroom is a free resource for any educator anywhere who can download the comics as well as teaching guides for the graphic novels. They have lesson plans ready to go along with having curricular units on how to create the comics themselves. Since they are a nonprofit, they used to do fundraising through Denver Pop Culture Con and Denver Comic Con. Although due to COVID-19 those event’s weren’t able to happen, severing their main fundraising revenue. Without funding to their program, they wouldn’t be able to hire the freelance artists for the comics.

For more Pop Culture Classroom information, head over to popcultureclassroom.org, and remember, donations are appreciated, but not required.

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