Brianna Matthews Uses Poetry to Confront History and Identity

Brianna Matthews

There are moments when young voices don’t just speak—they challenge, they question, and they force us to reflect.

Brianna Matthews is one of those voices.

A well-rounded student athlete in the International Baccalaureate (IB) program at Lincoln Park Academy, Brianna carries a 4.83 GPA while balancing academics, athletics, and leadership. As a member of the National Honor Society, she has already shown a commitment to excellence, but what stands out even more is how she chooses to use her voice.

Through poetry, Brianna steps into conversations that many shy away from—history, identity, and the harsh realities that have shaped both.

A Student Leader With Purpose

Beyond the classroom, Brianna uses basketball as a way to give back to her community, volunteering at local camps and preparing to host her own basketball camp this coming June.

She is also an avid reader and former book club president, currently working toward publishing her own collection of poems. Whether it’s through literature, sports, or service, Brianna continues to find ways to connect, lead, and inspire.

Her creativity doesn’t stop there. She is a violinist and proudly embraces her love for stories as a self-proclaimed Harry Potter fan—blending discipline, imagination, and passion in everything she does.

Spoiled Crop by Brianna Matthews

What did I do? What deal did I make?Am I really as evil and sinister as they claim?From Lucifer’s hand, molded from his clay?And now I will not live another day

The rope is tight, the crowd is thickThe jeers and cheers would make me sickIf my lifeline weren’t hanging on by a brickAnd they couldn’t take my breath with a flick

They’re white as lambs, yet not that pureWhether old or young, rich or poor,They all hate the black sleep forevermoreAnd we crumble under the pressure of their hatred galore

Because I didn’t “know my place”Because I cannot change my raceDidn’t the Bard claim we can control our fate?I wish he allowed us control of their hate.

The water flows freely now down my faceWill these people still haunt me past the mortal plane?Is eternity just eternal pain?Is heaven full of these monsters and their hate?

From the gallows, from the poplar treesEither way, I’ll soon sway in the breezeChildren will watch with their familiesAnd nobody will be punished, but me

At the end of the day, they’ll never changeAnd I’ll be just one of the many strange fruit laying in the grave.

Brianna Matthews Poem Spoiled Crop

More Than a Poem

What Brianna Matthews has written here is not just poetry—it’s confrontation.

It forces us to sit with a part of history that many would rather ignore. The imagery is uncomfortable, and it should be. It echoes a time when crowds gathered not for celebration, but for destruction. When injustice wasn’t hidden—it was normalized.

And what makes this even more powerful is who it’s coming from.

A young student. A leader. A scholar. An athlete.

This is why platforms like Drippin Culture News matter. Because our youth are not disconnected. They are aware. They are thinking. They are processing history, identity, and the world around them in ways that deserve to be seen and heard.

Brianna didn’t just write a poem.

She stepped into truth.

And if we’re paying attention, she’s not just telling a story about the past—she’s asking us what we’re willing to acknowledge in the present.