A day in the life of a middle school student

I try and bring different, creative ways to talk to kids about the world. My school is predominantly Latino. More often that not, you hear Spanish in the hallways. Immigration and race are topics that surround our community. In a meeting this weekend, a friend lent me a book of collected writings and poetry that Langston Hughes put together. As I was going through it, I remembered a few years ago using on of Hughes poems in a class and talking about the themes discussed and their relevancy today. I decided that it would be good to try and find the poem and see what kids have to say about it now. Below is the poem I used. What happened was a class discussion about Obama. What does Obama symbolize to the youth? Does it mean racism is no longer an issue? The majority of my students were happy Obama won, but they had a hard time talking about whether racism is still a problem and expressing what they felt. As I watched and listened to them, I felt the complexity of what my students are told and what they see. Were my students struggling because although other adults and the media say one thing about Obama, back home, in the ghetto where these kids come from, are they seeing something very different? It can’t be easy growing up today, with all the contradictions laid out before you and no one to help make sense of it.

Children's Rhymes

By what sends
the white kids
I ain't sent:
I know I can't
be President.
What don't bug
them white kids
sure bugs me:
We know everybody
ain't free.

Lies written down
for white folks
ain't for us a-tall:
Liberty And Justice--
Huh!--For All?